, Uganda. Volunteering Project.

Uganda. Volunteering Project.

I recently spent two weeks in Uganda where I was involved in a volunteering project, but which also included a couple of gorilla treks and a chimpanzee trek.  Images from those will follow in other posts, but first of all here are some images from the volunteering part.

Our first task was to plant some trees with the Mgahinga Community Development Organisation.  This organisation aims to help the local community to have better lives, and volunteers spend time teaching school children or helping with small building, agricultural or reforestation projects.  Below are images of a group of women who get together to make various items to sell to tourists.  They can sit on the ground for hours with their legs stretched out and not leaning back against anything.  One woman even had a sleeping baby on her back whose head is just about visible. I don’t know how they can breath like that, but obviously they can!

, Uganda. Volunteering Project.

, Uganda. Volunteering Project.

One local young entrepreneur had rigged up a zipline over a lake and a couple of swinging walkways, and after asking about the safety record, two of us decided to give it a go.  We were the oldest two volunteers by at least 30 years, and the only ones to do it!  It was great fun and the swinging walkway was a big challenge.

, Uganda. Volunteering Project.

It was school holidays and a group of children were playing nearby. They thought it great fun to come and laugh with (or at?) the mzungu* and my experience of children in many African countries is that they love to be photographed.   *The word ‘Mzungu ‘ is used to refer to ‘someone with white skin’, but can also be used to refer to all foreigners more generally.

, Uganda. Volunteering Project.

, Uganda. Volunteering Project.

That afternoon we went out on a boat to enjoy the scenery and birdlife.

, Uganda. Volunteering Project.

Not everything was beautiful though, as we were shown a cave with the grisly remains of women who (years ago) had been sent to an island to live there forever. Their ‘crime’ had been to become pregnant out of wedlock and there was only one way out of their situation alive, and that was if any local fishermen came and married them.  If they died there however, their remains were taken to another island and thrown into a cave, which now contains many skeletons.  Thankfully this practice no longer happens and it’s not considered to be such a sin to be an unmarried mother.  There was of course no comeback on the men who had made them pregnant in the first place!

, Uganda. Volunteering Project.

On two other days we got involved with a local school and because it was school holidays we painted a classroom.  This school has around 680 pupils, of which 139 of mixed ages have various different special needs which include children who are either blind and partially sighted, deaf, have downs syndrome, dyslexia, autism, brain damage, physical impairments, or are orphaned. Some of them are boarders as the school has a wide catchment area, or they have been rejected by their families,(Yes, really 🙁 )  and they also board during the holidays as they have no home to go to. Some of their background stories are heartbreaking, such as two brothers who once stole something and some people in their community poured petrol on them and set them on fire!  One child’s parents just didn’t bother picking him up from school and he’s still waiting for them. Another has epilepsy and could have been abandoned by his parents after learning that he had intellectual disabilities. However the school is doing a fantastic job with them and the headmaster comes across as one of the most patient, softly spoken, calm, and compassionate men I’ve ever met, and the students we encountered seemed cheerful and happy during the brief time we were with them.

Below is the headmaster in his office.  I’m sure he knows where everything is……

, Uganda. Volunteering Project.

A classroom is below. Somehow I doubt that any of the piles of workbooks below will ever be looked at again.

, Uganda. Volunteering Project.

Below is the classroom that needed a coat (or few) of paint.  The walls had to be cleared of various notices, dust, and cobwebs first and one of the teenagers did an excellent job of brushing the walls down. Some of the other students also enthusiastically helped us with the preparation and painting.

, Uganda. Volunteering Project.

Below is one of my favourite photos from the entire trip. The light from two windows was just perfect and he was lost in his own thoughts long enough for me to take a few photos of him.

, Uganda. Volunteering Project.

Another boy was standing outside, also with great light on him.

, Uganda. Volunteering Project.

These four however were playing to camera and loving it.

, Uganda. Volunteering Project.

, Uganda. Volunteering Project.

Finally, the scenes below are typical of local life and I’m constantly amazed by what is carried on (mostly) women’s heads. We also saw quite a few people walking with their goats on ‘leads’.

, Uganda. Volunteering Project.

 

 

 

 

 

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4 thoughts on “Uganda. Volunteering Project.

    1. julielovegrove

      The Real Person!

      Author julielovegrove acts as a real person and passed all tests against spambots. Anti-Spam by CleanTalk.

      says:

      Thanks Linda 🙂

  1. I love your photographs in general, there is a beautiful relationship between you and your Fuji camera. Your phots have a softness to them , not sharpness , colour wise, that is so different to say my Canon. Fuji have now a great selection of camera’s and lenses. but it’s YOU who brings out the best in them.

    1. julielovegrove

      The Real Person!

      Author julielovegrove acts as a real person and passed all tests against spambots. Anti-Spam by CleanTalk.

      says:

      Thanks Gordon. That’s very kind. 🙂

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