Blog Eleven - Professional Blog

19^th April 2012

This week Lynsey and I had the privilege of being invited to a farewell assembly at City Parents Primary School. Overwhelmed to be invited to a school assembly dedicated towards us, we were excited to see what CPS had planned for our arrival. Our normal routine of organising our classes in the courtyard for assembly seemed distant; this time we were seen as ‘special guests’.

Our farewell assembly at school involved what we expected from City Parents; singing and dancing! Arriving at 7:30am, we had numerous speeches from the headmaster and head of department about our time in City Parents. Numerous kind words were shared and knowing that we were leaving our placement school for the last time meant that emotions were high. Both the classes we had been teaching, P.3.S and P.3.N had prepared songs which we taught them while on placement. Hearing these songs made us realise how much they had enjoyed them, yet it was rewarding on our behalf. It was also clear that they had spent a long time preparing numerous handmade cards, gifts and letters for us to open. Completely overwhelmed at the amount of presents we had received, we realised that our classes were going to miss our presence as much as we were going to miss them.

Receiving our gifts

 Since finishing teaching practice, we have had the opportunity to reflect on what we have learnt during this time, and also what university has been like compared to that of home. Makerere University is a large university which is well established as being one of the best in Uganda. Its education department is made up of two buildings, and although there are many undergraduate students, Lynsey and I have been placed in the ‘PGDE’ education class. Our class consists of ourselves along with twelve other students. Although small, we have felt that we have really bonded with our classmates and they have made a special effort to include us in their class. It has been interesting to look at the different perspectives of these pupils, and how their opinions compare with ours.

Our university course focuses on looking at the instructional methods of teaching, and the use of technology which can be implemented within the classroom. Our tutors have been really useful at giving us an insight of how Ugandan schools operate, and they have been really interested to find out more about our curriculum and teaching methods. It was interesting to note that theoretically their methods briefly mirror ours, yet I found that upon observation and being on placement in a Ugandan school, they were actually somewhat contrasting. The tutors and students were keen to take on board our ideas of interactive teaching, likewise the teachers we met at City Parents; however with the large number of pupils and limited resources, I feel that this could be an issue.

The GTCNI Competences highlight how teachers should develop, “a knowledge and understanding of a range of strategies to promote and maintain positive behaviour , including an acknowledgement of pupil voice to establish an effective learning environment.” With this in mind, I have recognised how our tutors have included us, and allowed us to voice our opinions in relation to different classroom strategies. In doing this, they have shown us the importance of including our own pupils’ opinions and in turn, I have realised how the learning environment can be maximised. Overall I feel I have gained most experience of the education system in Uganda from my placement in City Parents. However, university has been very enjoyable and it has been interesting to note how the students and tutors were adamant to include our opinion and make us feel welcome in the classroom.

Outside Makerere University

References

GTCNI (2005)  “Teaching: The Reflective Profession, Incorporating the Northern Ireland Teaching Competences.” Routeledge, London. 

Blog Nine + Ten - Personal / Cultural Blog

12th April 2012

 Lynsey and I used the Easter holidays as a perfect excuse to take a break from the hussle and bussle of Kampala. Being in the city for over two months, we were ready to see a different side of Uganda and aside from the city of chaos!

We were glad to meet a familiar face from home, when Lynsey’s boyfriend Garth arrived in Uganda to spend his Easter holidays with us. Upon finishing teaching practice and all of our volunteering, we agreed on taking a well deserved break to Jinja.

Beginning our journey from the ‘Old Taxi Park’ in Kampala gave Garth a quick snapshot of the disorganisation of Africa. Finding our way around the maze of ‘matatus’ was a challenging task; it took us a while to find the correct minibus to Jinja amongst the hundreds!

Jinja is most famously known as being the source of the River Nile. Lynsey and I had the opportunity to get a boat trip to see the exact location from where it is sourced from. Taking a tour guide along with us, we were able to find out more about its origin and how the underground springs meet Lake Victoria before it begins its travels to Egypt.

Lynsey and I at the source!

The River Nile

Staying at Bujagli Falls, we were surrounded by breathtaking views of the River Nile, and the beautiful vegetation of the countryside. Located just above the River Nile, our safari tent which we camped in for the weekend looked unto striking scenery. However, Jinja’s beautiful surroundings away from the pandemonium of Kampala were not all that seemed appealing for us, but it has also emerged as “the adrenaline capital of East Africa”.  (Fitzpatrick, 2009) It is no surprise therefore that we decided to make use of these activities!

Covered in dust from the track!

Having done white water rafting before, and not quite brave enough to take on the rapids of the River Nile twice, I decided that I would be more suited towards quad biking in the African sunshine. Having little practice before setting off on the winding dirt paths along the River Nile, I was a bit apprehensive of the journey. Our guide equipped us with the appropriate clothing; dungarees, wellington boots, a helmet, a bandana and goggles, all to prevent us from getting covered in the never-ending dust! After some rehearsal on manoeuvring our quads, we were ready to take on the various ramps, through the local villages and along the meandering paths towards the rapids of the Nile.  Surprised at how fast I wanted my quad to go, there were a few incidents where I had to make a quick change of course before crashing! Exhausted after our quad trip, the remainder of our time in Jinja was spent enjoying the hot African sun while swimming in the River Nile.

Ready to hit the road! 

Eager to continue our travels, we decided to voyage eight hours to Kbale, to Lake Bunyonyi. Lake Bunyonyi is known as “the place of many little birds” (Fitzpatrick, 2009) Surrounded by twenty-nine islands, the lake is located in the middle of steep hillsides making its remarkable views and secluded islands made this destination a place of ultimate relaxation.

For the duration of the time we would be spending in Lake Bunyonyi, we would be staying on Byoona Amagara island. Located away from the mainland, we had the option of getting a dugout canoe or a motorboat to where we would be spending the next few days. Choosing to use a dugout canoe, we managed to fit five of us on a long, thin wooden canoe which is carved from a eucalyptus tree. Paddling this seemed quite a mission and I was surprised at how we could stay afloat. Travelling along in this canoe allowed us to truly embrace the environment we were situated in and see how striking Uganda could be. Being more of a hindrance than a help with the paddling, I was very thankful to have two guides who could get us to dry land safely!

The dugout canoes

The island we were staying on proved a huge difference to our western way of life. Having no electricity, adapting to a very ‘African’ way of living seemed quite a challenge for us. Having no flushing toilets, buckets of water for showers and candles for lights allowed Lynsey and I to experience an eco-friendly, ‘no frills’ way of living. Although very different to what we are used to, it was a great experience to live so involved with nature and in a way which only involved the real necessities of life.  Frank Herbert once stated that, “Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken.” (Olsen, 2008 ) As we live each day in this foreign country, it adds to our overall experience of life, and how we can enjoy everything that we stumble across. Everything we have experienced in Uganda has been new to us, yet it has been these experiences which have truly allowed us to delve into and enjoy life here.

Overall our Easter holiday was one which we can say we have never experienced before! From canoeing in Lake Bunyonyi to quad biking along the River Nile, to sunbathing under the hot African sun to sleeping beneath the stars with breathtaking views, I can honestly say that Lynsey and I are even more excited about travelling further abroad Africa!

References

Fitzpatrick, M. (2009) “Lonely Planet: East Africa” Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd, Singapore.

Olsen, G. (2008) “David Lynch: Beautiful Dark” Library of Congress Catalogue in publication data, Plymouth, United Kingdom.

Blog Eight - Personal

29th March 2012

Upon finishing school placement, we have been very grateful to discover that Uganda has a lot to offer in relation to volunteer work. Making use of our valuable time left here, Lynsey and I decided to take a week volunteering at ‘The Bulrushes Baby Home’.

‘The Bulrushes Baby Home’ is run by an organisation known as ‘Watoto’. Watoto is a worldwide administration which honours to “Rescue, Raise and Rebuild” people who are in need. Based in Africa, there are a number of baby homes, watoto villages and schools which help to give those who are less privileged, a chance in life. Their mission statement highlights the work they are involved in around East Africa, “The Watoto model involves physical care, medical intervention including HIV/Aids treatment, education - formal and technical and trauma counselling.” (Watoto, 2010)

‘The Bulrushes’ is one of three baby homes in Uganda which caters for babies that have been abandoned. From these baby homes, Watoto plan to help build healthy children which will then be filtered into specific villages and schools they been created. For the week I was placed with the 3-6 month old babies. Surrounded by fifteen babies that had to be bathed, fed, changed and clothed, it’s not surprising that I felt out my depth. Regardless of this chaos, I instantly fell in love with the babies I was working with!



Getting ready for bathtime!

Ecstatic to be involved with this organisation, we were keen to find out the babies’ stories and what had happened to them. Due to poverty, lack of education and the HIV crisis, we were shocked to hear that many babies would not make it to the age of five without urgent medical attention. Some of the babies we were working with had traumatic experiences, “Some of them have been found in toilets, garbage dumps, under trees, in bushes, buckets of water and on doorsteps. It is common for them to premature, abused and with serious medical conditions.” (Watoto, 2010)

As we held each of them in our arms, I had difficulty analysing why anyone could harm such perfect and precious babies. Yet due to some of the circumstances we are surrounded with in Uganda, it is unfortunately a common practice. Such simple episodes of sickness require instant medical attention and even common complaints can often leave a child weak and malnourished. As I worked with these vulnerable babies, I felt overwhelmed at the love the nannies and staff had for them. It can be said that “…our most precious resource is people and their potential to work for the betterment of society; however poverty in its numerous manifestations, most obviously low and unreliable income, wastes this resource and its potential.” (Spence, 2009) Knowing that these children were safe to grow up in a society which is so poverty stricken and corrupt made me aware of how fortunate they were to have such loving carers.

References

Watoto (2010) “Watoto: Our Purpose” Watoto Africa, Uganda.

Watoto (2010) “Watoto: Baby Watoto” Watoto Africa, Uganda.

Spence, C. (2009) “Achieving, Believing and Caring: Doing whatever it takes to create successful schools.” Pembroke Publishers, Ontario, Canada.