Prior to Kathryn Remm and her fellow Navy Seabees? arrival in Kitgum, Uganda in October, the local hospital had only sheets hung to give new mothers privacy. The area high school’s dining facility had been out of operation for 15 years, with more than 1200 students from all regions within Africa and 42 teachers forced to eat outside, even in inclement weather.
Remm, a chief equipment operator, and the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Three were in Kitgum, near the Sudan border, from Oct. 14-31 as part of a humanitarian mission. The 1991 Brandon High School graduate served as assistant officer in charge, and directly managed 28 troops and supervised and mentored 45 military members from East African countries including Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda.
‘It was an eye-opening experience,? Remm said. ‘The Ugandans work to live. Most are refugees from the invasion of Sudan. They farm the land to survive. They are extremely hardworking people. Even the children are working at very young ages, whether it is in the fields, carrying water from the hand pumps, or taking care of the babies.?
Remm saw less than 10 vehicles in Kitgum. Most locals walked, or if they were lucky, owned a bicycle. The homes were grass huts with dirt floors. She noted that even though the natives were very poor, they seemed happy and in high spirits.
The Ugandans value education, and two of the projects Remm worked on involved schools. At the Mucwini Primary School, she and the Naval construction crew demolished and rebuilt two roofs, rebuilt, plastered and painted brick walls, and placed a concrete floor, giving 150 students a place to study.
At the Kitgum High School dining facility, they installed a new steel roof, more than 1,500 panes of glass that were handcut on site, decorative tile, a handicap ramp and sidewalk, as well as painted the exterior and interior and repaired steel doors and window frames. At the completion of the project, there was a ribbon-cutting ceremony and in attendance were the U.S. Ambassador to Uganda, AFRICOM’s General Ward and several ministers from the Uganda Parliament.
Besides the schools, Remm and her crew also created five privacy rooms at the Kitgum Medical Center. The Kitgum hospital has only one doctor and 46 nurses to attend to 200-300 inpatients and 300-500 outpatients on a daily basis.
‘The Seabees were able to leave the African people with structures that they can use for decades to come,? Remm noted.
Remm worked long days, typically rising at 4 a.m. and not going to bed until 11 p.m. The weather was very hot and she had to deal with mosquitos and snakes? they killed a king cobra on a jobsite and a black mambo tried to get into their tent. The workers purified their own water for showers and ate meals-ready-to-eat, but she enjoyed the experience.
‘The main lesson I learned is that if you work together, no matter where you come from, you can accomplish anything,? she said. ‘I made a lot of new friends and it was the best feeling in the world to help people that are in dire need of assistance. It’s a privilege to serve my country.?
Remm is currently in Spain and will return to California in February. She will come back to Ortonville to visit family in March before her next adventure? a one-year assignment to Iwakuni, Japan.