Week 2 - First week of classes!!

Location: Kampala



Week 2 in Uganda and things are going pretty well. Easter Monday was pretty laid back which was great because it gave me a chance to slow down and get things ready for classes the next day. I woke up bright and early the next day ready to go!! We were introduced to our Luganda teachers and they both seemed pretty cool. My teacher was a bit intimidating at first, but in a good way. He knew exactly what he wanted to do and wasn't going to waste any time. The rest of the week was good as we got more acquainted with the campus and teachers. The lectures are very interesting. Just imagine someone talking at you for two hours straight!! Strangely enough, I'm alright with it. The subject matter is pretty interesting so it's not boring at all. It might get a little old eventually but for right now everything is good. We started visiting NGOs and that brought up a whirlwind of emotions. Everywhere we went was so different and significant. I wanted to become involved with all of them but of course there is no time for that. The most striking organizations we visited were Mulago Bright and Children for Peace. Mulago Bright is a primary school that is basically operating on nothing. It is located in a slum and was unbelievable. These children were lucky to be there but the conditions were horrible. They didn't have any clean water, there were holes in the rooftops which sometimes prevented them from studying when it rained and all they really had was music, dance, and drama. They won an award for the best school of the arts but they were lacking in so many other areas. It was heartbreaking to see how they lived but it was also inspiring because in spite of their situation, they were happy and thankful for what they had. Children for Peace was also striking on both ends of the spectrum. They had wonderful facilities for the children and were able to get them to school. They all had their own beds with mosquito nets!! All of the children were trained in the arts and they used this knowledge to create revenue for the program. After we visited the home, we went to the see where the street children lived and it was horrifying. Just imagine living in a huge dumpster. The smell was horrible and is was disgustingly crowded. I met a young girl who I connected with immediately. I was so drawn to her in as a mentor and an older sister. I couldn't fight back the tears when she told me the story of how she ended up on the streets and all I could do was hug her. I couldn't imagine going through what she has had to. That was a very humbling experience and made me appreciate my life and all of the opportunities I've been given. I can't wait to get more involved and hopefully have a positive impact on whoever I decide to work with.