We Can Work It Out-The Beatles

Computer lab

Due to a misplaced camera, I wasn't able to finish my trip postings until awhile after our return to the U.S.  Then school started and, per usual, things got away from me.  But our last few days in Uganda were some of my favorites and I wanted to make sure to share information about a few of these amazing places.

Library 

Chemistry class supplies

Student desks

Day Four of the Uganda program we visited several schools to gain a better understanding of the variety of schools students are able to attend.  The first school was Light College Mukono which was our first long visit at a secondary school.  Having worked in high schools for my entire career, I really appreciated the opportunity to be around high school kids again.  We toured the buildings and were able to see classrooms, the computer lab, the library and the faculty lounge.  This school is working on an expansion and we were also able to visit the new construction.  During our visit, the students had a break and we were able to check out some of the boarding and eating areas as well as the school nurse.  The socio-economic level of these students was higher than many of the other schools we visited and many students here had some pocket money to buy snacks during breaks.

During our visit we were able to sit down with some of the faculty and have an engaging discussion about critical issues facing teachers in both Uganda and the U.S.  The conversation was a bit slow to start but ended up with lively discussions about religion in school, teaching students how to be good citizens and members of a community, rape culture in Uganda and how schools handle that kind of information, and more.

Our second school visit was to St. Maria Goretti Vocational School.  This is a school created by Sister Matthias for girls who have come from a variety of circumstances-neglect, abuse, HIV positive parents, rape, etc.  The goal of the school is to provide the girls with vocational training in order to allow them to become contributing members of the work force.  Girls at the school can learn sewing, catering, hair dressing, secretarial skills, child care, and accounting.  The school has 435 students and all of them board there.  During our stay we were treated to an amazing lunch cooked by the catering students.  Then the entire school put on a presentation of songs, dances, and skits about critical issues (alcoholism, abuse, neglect), finally a graduate of the school came to speak to the girls about not giving up on their future opportunities.  Finally, we were able to visit some of the classrooms and see the skills the girls were learning first hand.

Secretarial training

While visiting both schools we were able to visit some of the boarding areas and discuss the challenges girls face when they have their periods.  For a variety of reasons, students (and adults) are not really provided with much (if any) information about what is happening to their bodies and often girls will miss an entire week of school each month staying in bed during their periods.  Over time, they get so far behind they end up dropping out of school.  During our time in Uganda, some members of our group were able to work with an organization called Days for Girls which helps educate girls in developing countries and provides re-usable pads so they can continue to go to school.  the girls in the sewing class at Maria Goretti were able to learn how to make the reusable kits so they can sell them to other girls in the area and, hopefully, keep more girls in school.

Sewing class

At the end of the day we headed back to the university where we were staying for a lecture on Skilling Uganda-the government's effort to promote more vocational training in schools.  This chart fascinated me and prompted so many questions.  Uganda's development is the flat green line at the bottom.