After a
gruelling flight to Uganda through the night, I drowsily stepped out of the car
at the end of the inbound journey with very little going on in my exhausted
mind. Immediately, I was greeted by swarms of grinning children outside the S.O.U.L.
Shack, who sang to welcome me – undoubtedly the most surprising wake-up I’ve
ever received. Yet the incredible hospitality remained as enthusiastic and
genuine until the moment I left Kyabirwa, not just from the children but from
the entire community, which included the S.O.U.L. volunteers.
The village in
which I stayed seemed infused with a positive dynamic; I had anticipated a
place with little expectation for the future other than maintaining the status
quo of feeding a family and grinding out as much additional output as possible.
However, the village was vibrant: young children had the opportunity to learn
through the pre-school set up by S.O.U.L. with the aid of incredible local
teachers; older children were able to attend local schools through generous
donations and S.O.U.L. scholarships and dream about the possibility of university;
local women were actively involved in production of textiles, jewellery and
crafts. Additionally, sustainable businesses have been developed – namely
chicken breeding, goat breeding and fish farms – which not only offer economic
incentives for villagers but also instruct them about long term economic
planning. I believe that whereas, before, it seemed evident that the villagers
lived just in the present, the input from the S.O.U.L. Foundation has instilled
a plan for the future in the minds of these people, which allows for
emancipatory and empowering work within Kyabirwa.
On a personal
note, I devoted a lot of time initially to teaching in local schools, which are
attended by many S.O.U.L. sponsored children. I was able to engage the primary
school children in the study of Charlotte’s Web, using the book to attempt to
improve their reading, writing and communication of English. I had great fun
teaching these kids who had such a voracious appetite for learning; whether or
not they understood what was going on in parts of the book is up for debate,
yet they seemed to enjoy it. I also lectured A-level history students about
World War Two in a local boarding school; I felt that was an instructive and
rewarding topic to teach. On certain evenings I was able to teach IT skills to
teenagers in the village such as word processing and drawing.
Later I was
excited to involve myself with the digging of one of the sustainable fish ponds
in Namizi. I liked the fact that I could see the palpable and immediate input I
had in the project, and being able to do it while joking and chatting with the
workers. I picked up the nickname ‘Kityanka’ which apparently means ‘Mud’,
which I hope was an endearing name!
I stayed with
one of the families in the village for the entire month, and became extremely
close to them all within that space of time. They accepted me as one of their
own; in return I tried to learn the language and assist with chores. I was able
to eat incredible traditional Ugandan food (in huge amounts at that), and spent
time not only with them but with other families who were equally as welcoming. One
of the best parts of the experience was just to converse with them and learn about
their culture and beliefs.
The
inclusiveness of the community was such that it often made me forget the huge
disparities of wealth and materials. Nevertheless, there is so much more to do.
More kids need to be funded, more teaching materials need to be donated, and
more work needs to be done on the burgeoning projects. I, for one, will
treasure the place and endeavour to support S.O.U.L.’s work; hopefully it can
expand to aid a greater area. Although
the red soil has now washed off me, the memories won’t.
By: Tom S., S.O.U.L. Volunteer
To learn more about volunteering with the S.O.U.L. Foundation, visit our website
http://www.souluganda.org/get-involved/volunteer/
