Volunteering in Uganda

Conclusion - Memorable Pictures

The six months I spent living in Uganda as a volunteer was a life experience full of memories that I dont think I will ever forget! It is the most important thing I have done in my life, I learned many things and discovered a different way of life living with ordinary people in rural Africa! Above all, I learned to be simple, to appreciate the gift of life and many more things which we tend to take for granted in Europe, nothing is for granted! Despite the ups and downs that I experienced, I learned to be optimistic and to see the positive side of life. When people around you who have very little are laughing poverty away, you realise you can't complain about trivial problems!

The media have been successful in depicting Africa as 'the Dark Continent', a land of evils: war, brutality, fatal illnesses, chronic poverty, hunger and misery. What I experienced in Uganda had very little to do with this image of Africa! I invite you to visit Uganda, away from the stereotypes of television, and experience the good image of Africa that will be unforgettable!I invite anyone who is fluent in French and wants to make a difference by volunteering for disadvantaged youth in rural Uganda to come replace me as a volunteer at Holy Family Secondary School in Namayumba. If there are other things you can do, ICYE-UK offers a wide range of volunteering opoortunities in education, healthcare, community outreach, business development and many more, so you'll be sure to find something you enjoy doing!

Feel free to get in touch with my organisation ( www.icye.org.uk ) by sending an email to international@icye.org.uk.Finally, check out some memorable pictures below!
Thank you,

Iason Mouzourakis

January 2012

I returned to Uganda on 4 January 2012, the new school year was to start on Monday 30 January 2012 and I had to attend the Final Evaluation Camp before my 6-month programme was officially over.

So I continued the French classes with Edwin, Benjamin and Christine and I believe we managed to get to a good level in beginners French. I hope they will continue studying on their own with the help of the books that were donated to the school.

Time went by and I organised my farewell party on 31 January, one day before I left Namayumba permanently. The party was fun and many people from the village came along to say goodbye!

Finally, I attended the ICYE Mid-Term Evaluation Camp near Entebbe from 1-3 February, after which I flew back to London.

Mid-November to mid-December 2011

In mid-November 2011, the week after the school trip to Alliance Française in Kampala we had the end-of-term exams at Holy Family SS at the end of the academic year for 2011 (the Ugandan academic year usually begins in late January and ends in early December).

I prepared two different French papers for my Senior 1 & 2 students which were not very easy. I was surprised to see that the results were very good: in Senior 1, out 31 papers, the average mark was 55.5% and the top 3 students got 95.8%, 92.3% and 90.3%! In Senior 2, out of 21 papers the average mark was 58.5% and the first 3 students got 94%, 82.8% and 80%, the latter student having missed the last question carrying 20 marks, his paper being otherwise almost perfect!

The joy I felt was great as I felt I have achieved something! A teacher's role is to always support all of their students, which I believe I did, but it is also important to reward those who do very well! So I gave out small prizes to my three top students in each class, things like mathematical sets, pens, a plastic box etc.

As exams began, I participated as a supervisor with other teachers at various exams, including French exams. The headmaster asked me to award marks for French on my students' school reports which I happily did. I would have never thought one day I would write marks on school reports, let alone in Uganda! I felt proud!

On Friday 25 November 201 the school year officially ended and up until the 14th of December, which is when I left the village to fly back home for Christmas, I decided to get back to my local students. So I got back to Edwin and Benjamin, my 2 first local students in Namayumba, and I encouraged them to work hard so that one day they will be able to sit the first French language exams (DELF) exams at Alliance Française in Kampala. I wish the same for my Senior 1 & 2 students. If they manage to pass these tests they will have better opportunities in their future and I still hope that one day they'll get there though we have long way to go!

In early December I got a new student, Christine who is 17 years old. She is from Namayumba but goes to a boarding school in Gulu, northern Uganda. Christine did quite well and we got back to French in January 2012.

School Trip to Alliance Française in Kampala with Senior 1 & 2 Students from Holy Family SS on 10 Νovember 2011

I organised and led a school trip to Alliance Française in Kampala on 10 November 2011 in which 44 of my Senior 1 & 2 students from Holy Family Secondary School, along with my colleague and French student Mr Benjamin, took part.

The Resources Centre Manager at Alliance Française, Marie-Rose, had prepared the program of the day: three groups of 15 students to have three different activities, each activity run by a different teacher of the institute, all activities to run simultaneously. After its first activity, each group would rotate to the next one.

The first activity was under a tent outside with a whiteboard and markers and the goal was to teach children basic concepts such as greetings in French, colors and occupations using games such as pantomime. The second activity was in a TV room where students learned what the Alliance Française is about and what its objectives are, basics about France such as the colors of the French flag, the name of the current French President etc. There was also TV footage with images from all over France ("La France en images") in order for the students to become familiar with the country's nature. The third activity was in another room with an interactive whiteboard where students saw some of the most famous monuments and attractions of Paris like the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees and the River Seine. They also saw a video animation in French with songs for children and played the broken telephone game. After lunch break, students played pétanque in the garden and our visit ended with a brief tour of the institute's library.

Alliance Française also donated a number of French textbooks for beginners as well as science, geography, arts and fashion magazines to our school! I would like to thank the institute for this donation, especially Marie-Rose for taking this initiative and for arranging free soft drinks for all students at lunch!