Renovations of the School and Soul

As we hopped off the bus at the Nyamirama Primary School, we gathered materials for the days project. With the materials Sue, Ian, Alex R., Grace, and Emmett set up a workshop for kids around 5-6 years old. Within the workshop there were 8 different stations for the kids to rotate through. Each station consisted of an academic based activity such as, puzzles, counting blocks, and interactive games. Sue was amazed to see how fast the kids picked up the material. As Sue points out, kids are essentially little “sponges” for information. We continued the workshop for about an hour letting the kids rotate from each station every 10 minutes. Once that hour was over we joined the rest of the group in paintings boards for the school. While working with the whole group we realized a difference in work ethic between the first world and the third world. While we were easily exhausted from painting in the sun the local workers were able to work on the tin roof, in scorching heat without suffering our same exhaustion. Although we had been putting in maximum effort towards our assigned tasks, we still faltered in comparison to the locals. We gained a newfound respect for them and their way of life. To encompass the rest of the groups feelings throughout the trip and the day, Alex and Emmett conducted interviews. The questions asked ranged from their personal experiences to the connections they see between rural America and rural Uganda. To share a few of the answers:

Averi McIntyre

Q: What have you experienced here that you never realized was a luxury?

A: Clean tap water (easy access to clean drinking water), medical resources, clean clothes, more efficient machines (we get out of hard work because we have a machine to do it for us, it makes us both mentally and physically lazy), my freedom of speech, we are so selfish in America whereas here they are reliant on one another (sense of community)

Anni Bengaard

Q: What was the most impactful moment you’ve had so far?

A: I saw a young girl, no older than 3, coughing and crying as she walked out of her classroom. Her older brother, who was about 4, came and helped her down to the grass. I could see the scabs from the fungus all over her head… all I wanted to do was pick her up and take her home. In the US you don’t see all of the hurt that I have seen, here seeing an image like this one isn’t shocking. It’s normal.

Grace Kingdon

Q: What has been your favorite part thus far?

A: Engaging in activities with the kids at the primary school. Being able to see how friendly and happy they are over the smallest interactions.