We talked to Giulia Campinopoli, an MSc Medicine and Surgery student at our University, who took part in a mission to Uganda last summer.
Born in 2002, twenty-three years old in a few months, a thousand things already done and a thousand and one long-cherished dreams: this is Giulia Campinopoli, a fifth-year student on the UniCamillus University Rome MSc Medicine and Surgery programme, and the first medical student to go on a mission with Emergency since the association was founded.
Before we started asking her questions, we were expecting extremely emotional answers, especially considering that we were talking about humanitarian missions to help the less privileged people of the world. However, Giulia managed to convey a passion and enthusiasm that defied all expectations of melancholy, talking about a people with strong values, about a tiny newborn baby who fought tooth and nail to survive, about colleagues the world over who have become new friends, and about so many projects that still need to be defined to perfection, but which all have one thing in common: the re-circulation of love and gratitude between people and the rest of the world.
But let’s take it one step at a time. Giulia believes that life is too good to live for oneself, and as a child she dedicated herself to voluntary work: from the age of 8 to 19 she was a member of a scout troop, with which she helped various associations to help the less fortunate. She also chose to study Medicine and Surgery at UniCamillus because of the humanitarian nature of our University. In her fourth year of the Medicine programme, she has begun her clinical internship and felt ready to embark on a humanitarian mission abroad.
How did the project to go on a humanitarian mission to Uganda come about?
“It all started with a strong need to set out to make my personal contribution to the world. I was lucky enough to meet Professor Giuseppe Ippolito (a lecturer in infectious diseases at UniCamillus University, editor’s note), who listened to what I had to say, but above all what I had to give, to my motivations, and to my goals. That’s how he put me in touch with the NGO Emergency, and that’s how, after some insistence, I was finally able to join the mission”.
And that’s how the mission began. Tell us about it…
“I left Rome on 23rd August 2024 and was back on 30th September. I travelled alone and arrived in Entebbe, Uganda, at the Children’s Surgical Hospital, the Emergency children’s hospital where I lived my adventure”.
You mentioned an Emergency children’s hospital. Please tell us more!
“Of course! The Children’s Surgical Hospital in Entebbe was opened by Emergency in 2021 with the aim of offering free surgical care to children who would otherwise not have access to appropriate treatment. As well as providing life-saving treatment, the hospital also provides accommodation for several families from remote areas and other countries, thanks to the opportunity to stay free of charge in a purpose-built guesthouse. This place is not just a health facility, but a true humanitarian mission that goes beyond the physical care of children and tries to improve their life chances in a place where resources are scarce”.
Were you involved in anything in particular?
“Actually, although I was a student, they gave me a lot of freedom, probably because they quickly realised that I am a very reliable person. I was free to visit all the wards, organising my shifts and letting them know I was there so they could supervise me. I was involved in both clinical and research activities. I had normal working hours, from 8am to about 6pm: as long as there was any clinical activity, I was there with the medical practitioners and specialising medical students”.
Did you prefer clinical or research work?
“This experience made me understand a lot about myself, also from a professional point of view. It made me realise that I don’t want to be a surgeon, I want to do research. They have so many projects and I took part in three of them—two clinical and one administrative”.
So it was there that you realised what you want to do when you grow up. And from a human point of view? Is there someone or something you will never forget?
“It’s difficult to choose, because I met some really wonderful people there: both the ‘local’ Emergency staff—the Ugandan colleagues with whom we had a wonderful relationship—and the expats, the Italians and Europeans there. This allowed me to live this experience with unique serenity that was not to be taken for granted, given that I was an ordinary student who spent all her days in a hospital. Although I was the youngest, I always felt welcome and part of the group: I could ask anything and I always found people willing to listen, to give me advice and help me improve.
But if I have to talk about one episode in particular, I can only mention Faith, the smallest patient in the hospital: for two months, her life was really on a string!”.
Please, tell us about Faith!
“Faith was admitted to hospital a few days before I arrived and discharged a few days after I left, so she was a constant reference point for me. As soon as she was born, Faith developed a condition called necrotising enterocolitis (NEC). In her case, it was very advanced, so she underwent a procedure called an ostomy—the removal of the necrotic part of her bowels—at a local hospital. However, it is likely that after this operation the intestine was too short and the little girl was unable to metabolise anything and was wasting away. She was admitted to the Children’s Surgical Hospital in Entebbe when she was 20 days old and unable to digest anything. It was very difficult to deal with this case because the child was very small and could not be operated on immediately. So we first tried to get her to gain weight to get her back into shape, and after about a month and a half they did a secondary ostomy revision surgery so that Faith would be able to digest food on her own. Now Faith is well and living at home with her mum. She will always have a special place in my heart because she was the youngest of all the patients and a bit like everyone’s little daughter. I still keep in touch with some of the doctors there and I always ask them how Faith is”.
What impressed you about the local people?
“Ugandans are good, genuine people! Poverty is a tangible problem there, at least by the standards we are used to. Nevertheless, they are people who exude a strong sense of serenity, tranquillity and security. I am scared of going out at night in Rome but I never felt in danger there!
This experience really made me think about many ideals and principles, and I re-evaluated what the important things in life really are. I was only there for a month and a half, but I was able to get some very powerful emotions. As soon as I got there, I thought, ‘OK, the world I’ve been living in is only part of the world, and the people I’ve been interacting with are only a fraction of the people who exist. It was wonderful to change my mind about so many of the priorities I thought I had. The people there have very little on a material level, but they give you everything, and there is so much gratitude that is lacking here. For example, the parents of the children were extremely grateful to us, even if we just gave the little ones a gentle pat on the head. It was a really strong emotional experience: when I returned to Rome, I was a ‘new’ me!”.
Were there any cultural differences that you found difficult to deal with?
“Not really! I was lucky enough to enter a world of expat medical practitioners who had been there for months and were fully integrated into the local culture, the way they dressed, the way they interacted. They allowed me to learn the customs of the place in a natural way: I had no problem fitting in, nor did I ever feel uncomfortable”.
Why do you think you were chosen as the first student to go on an Emergency mission?
“I think it was because I’m motivated: I dreamed of going on a humanitarian mission. Not only that: I chose UniCamillus University because of its international nature, its Third Mission and because it is a University that aims to help the most needy people. I really wanted this opportunity—I would have done anything to make it happen!”.
A motivation that gets right to the point! Have you always had this desire to help others?
“Yes, I think it’s innate. I strongly believe that each of us has so much to give and I know what I can offer. I think and hope that I have done something good on this occasion, but I don’t want to stop: I hope to continue doing my best to serve humanity in the future. Being a medical student means dedicating a large part of your time to becoming a professional who saves lives and cares for the health of others. Doing good for others is a direct consequence of this vocation, and I believe in it with all my heart. It is no coincidence that, in addition to studying Medicine at UniCamillus, I am also in my second year of Psychology at La Sapienza: I enjoy getting to know the human soul and it is all part of my education and my personal journey. A kind of big picture of my life’s goal”.
Certainly, not everyone has your generosity and openness to the world. But still, do you think these experiences should be part of every doctor’s background?
“In my opinion, yes, but it is also something you have to feel inside, in your heart. I think a lot of people who study here choose UniCamillus because of its Third Mission and humanitarian focus, and as I said, that was my main motivation! Certainly, taking part in such a mission brings many personal and professional benefits to the student: you learn about new diseases, new treatment methods, new guidelines; you come into contact with completely different situations, interacting with people who are used to working in a completely different way; you enjoy human interactions and you learn to adapt quickly. From a human point of view, however, I think that in order to live this experience to the full and to be able to do 100% well, you have to be highly motivated: there are expats who live away from home for two years in a row, and it is certainly not easy for them, but they are motivated to do it, and for them this experience is not a deprivation, but personal enrichment! Their vocation is so strong that they do good with a smile, and that is the most human thing (in the best sense!) that can exist”.
I understand that you would repeat this experience…
“Absolutely! In Africa for sure, but I would like to go everywhere”.
We are coming to the end of this chat and that’s when we usually thank someone. Would you like to thank someone in particular?
“I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the opportunity I was offered. I would like to thank the Rector, Gianni Profita, who made such an initiative possible. I thank Professor Ippolito, who listened to me and understood my need for this experience. I thank Emergency and its President Rossella Miccio, who not only gave me the opportunity to make my dream come true, but also allowed me to meet so many wonderful people who made my stay unforgettable. I am a different person now compared to when I started, and I consider what I experienced there a fundamental part of my journey, both academically and humanly. I believe that such experiences should be encouraged! I know that it is not easy, because in a context where the patient is supposed to be cared for, it is not always easy to allow a student to get trained. But I also know that there are students, especially in this University, who are really motivated to do good: there are people who can make a difference, and the world needs us, after all we are the health professionals of the future! It is not necessary to reach the end of your postgraduate studies to bring some comfort to a world that so desperately needs it. You know, at the end of the day, I do hope that those who study medicine actually want to do something tangible to improve people’s lives”.
Good luck to you, Giulia, for a wonderful life, a career you deserve, and a world waiting to be as exciting as you want it to be!
