While I have gotten to witness many great things as a result of the programs we have run in Ndejje since arriving here in August, one of the most satisfying things to observe are the friendships that have formed between kids who participate in our soccer training sessions. I want to write about one such friendship in particular, between two girls hailing from different schools, Angel and Nalule, who are now inseparable.
Within Ndejje, as is true for most communities in Uganda, there exists strong rivalries between primary schools and amongst the children who attend them. I think a lot of different factors contribute to these rivalries, but they are definitely spurned on by the faculty of the schools because they are usually competing for school fees from the families whose children attend. As a result, it was challenging at the beginning to foster an environment in which kids from different schools felt welcome and safe, without being ostracized by the kids who represented a majority from one specific school. With time though, all of the kids who attend the program have improved at making others feel welcome and not letting rivalries get in the way of friendships.
Nalule is our best footballer, and she is a very confident, outspoken young girl who is not intimidated by anyone (she usually does the intimidating herself). She has really transformed into an effective leader for our girls' team, and is the only girl who has attended every single training session. Angel was new to SWB last fall, but she quickly became a regular at the training sessions, as she too is one of the more passionate footballers on the girls' side. She has an attitude, which can be both good and bad at times, and while she loves playing football, she hates running! In contrast to Nalule, Angel is more of a follower, and is happy to be on the team but would never feel comfortable in a position of leadership.
Despite their differences, the two girls have formed quite the pair. We frequently see them walking around Ndejje together, giggling to one another with mischievous grins splashed across their faces. They have unintentionally set the perfect example for other kids in our program what it should look like to be teammates regardless of which primary school anyone attends. Nalule is the natural-born leader, with Angel as her sidekick. And not only has their friendship been positive beyond the pitch, but Nalule's influence has also helped Angel to work harder at practice, especially when it comes to running!
Their friendship is something that we have all enjoyed watching develop, and definitely one that provides a lot of laughs to the observer. They are both young girls who are full of spunk and delight in each others company. The relationship that they share is just another example of how the game of soccer can unite people who come from different backgrounds, in this case, the different primary schools that each girl attends.
The SWB girls' team from Ndejje, Uganda
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Roadblocks Encountered
Well, we (Heather, Adam, and myself) have been here for just over seven months now and a lot of progress has been made in growing the program since our arrival in August. We have made huge strides in the number of kids who attend soccer training sessions, have expanded the attendance to students outside HOPE Primary School, and have started an after school program from scratch, which has regular attendance of between 30-40 kids daily. And those are just the measurable results. The intangible results are even more important to us, as we have been able to witness the individual growth of many of the kids who have benefited from the programs. We have watched as shy kids who lacked confidence have suddenly become leaders, we have heard kids talk about their dreams and defiantly tell doubters that anything is possible. We have witnessed young girls who had been told they didn't belong on a soccer field willingly come to practices every weekend and start to enjoy playing the game, excited at the freedom presented to them indulge in their athletic pursuits. And there are so many other stories concerning the kids' development. Kids becoming friends with people from different schools, refugees able to attend school due to SWB help, kids starting to think critically and question social norms.
However, along with success comes challenges and we seem to have encountered our biggest challenge over the past few weeks. Despite all of the strides the kids have been making, many adults in the community struggle with change and are very traditional in their way of thinking. While we have been very culturally sensitive during our time here, we are also here to make a difference and to encourage change, and as such we have had to work hard to balance those two objectives. Since returning from the holidays in January, we have implemented the after-school program for one hour, three days a week. The problem is though, that parents don't understand the benefit of the after-school program, desiring instead that their children come straight home from school to fulfill household chores.
Additionally, and the most frustrating aspect to all this, is that our local advisor has essentially told us that we cannot run any programs out of our Youth Center unless he approves them. We have encountered many frustrations since our arrival here in August, and the more time we spend here, the more apparent it becomes as to why Uganda, and Africa as a whole, lags so far behind the rest of the world. People here are unwilling to change. That is civil rights are violated, why the educational system is outdated, why economies are failing, and why governments collapse and dictatorships are still prevalent almost everywhere.
It is difficult to bear witness to all of this firsthand, especially after all of the work we have put into this program over the past several months. We just finished sprucing up the Youth Center with paint, and now it looks as though our only viable option may be to find a new Youth Center completely, and maybe even transport our program to a new community that is more welcoming of our vision and goals. I think the thing that is the most frustrating about all of this, is that all we want is a better future for the kids that we work with. Seeing the growth that these kids have exhibited just in the time that we have been here makes us wonder imagine how much more incredible they will be five years down the road. It makes us determined not to pull out of Ndejje for that reason, but our efforts are being stunted by the adults in the community who are stuck in tradition. The next few weeks will be crucial in determining the future of the program here in Uganda, and especially in Ndejje.
However, along with success comes challenges and we seem to have encountered our biggest challenge over the past few weeks. Despite all of the strides the kids have been making, many adults in the community struggle with change and are very traditional in their way of thinking. While we have been very culturally sensitive during our time here, we are also here to make a difference and to encourage change, and as such we have had to work hard to balance those two objectives. Since returning from the holidays in January, we have implemented the after-school program for one hour, three days a week. The problem is though, that parents don't understand the benefit of the after-school program, desiring instead that their children come straight home from school to fulfill household chores.
Additionally, and the most frustrating aspect to all this, is that our local advisor has essentially told us that we cannot run any programs out of our Youth Center unless he approves them. We have encountered many frustrations since our arrival here in August, and the more time we spend here, the more apparent it becomes as to why Uganda, and Africa as a whole, lags so far behind the rest of the world. People here are unwilling to change. That is civil rights are violated, why the educational system is outdated, why economies are failing, and why governments collapse and dictatorships are still prevalent almost everywhere.
It is difficult to bear witness to all of this firsthand, especially after all of the work we have put into this program over the past several months. We just finished sprucing up the Youth Center with paint, and now it looks as though our only viable option may be to find a new Youth Center completely, and maybe even transport our program to a new community that is more welcoming of our vision and goals. I think the thing that is the most frustrating about all of this, is that all we want is a better future for the kids that we work with. Seeing the growth that these kids have exhibited just in the time that we have been here makes us wonder imagine how much more incredible they will be five years down the road. It makes us determined not to pull out of Ndejje for that reason, but our efforts are being stunted by the adults in the community who are stuck in tradition. The next few weeks will be crucial in determining the future of the program here in Uganda, and especially in Ndejje.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Dreaming Out Loud
SWB Ndejje has been a very busy program for the last few weeks. February seemed to fly by and I feel good about all that we have accomplished since returning from our month-long break around Christmas. We painted the inside of the Youth Center this past week, which meant long days and lots of paint fumes, but it looks so much more vibrant than it did before and we can't wait to get all of our posters back up and the kids back inside!
In other programming news, we've been focusing on dreams and goal setting with the kids. We had the kids write or draw about what they wanted to be when they grew up and it was so awesome listening to them share their dreams with us and get excited about their futures. I sincerely hope that many of the kids we work with are indeed able to accomplish their dreams, even if the odds are stacked against them.
After spending a week talking about their dreams, we spent this past week introducing them to African men who have accomplished big dreams of their own either in their home country or abroad. The kids loved hearing about people just like them, who grew up in the same conditions in Africa and were able to achieve their goals despite many setbacks that they encountered. It was so inspirational being able to discuss the stories of these men with the kids, and see the kids really take these stories to heart. I asked one group what they would say to someone if that person told them that their dream was impossible. One of the boys, Farouk raised his hand and said confidently, "I would tell them that it is my dream, and so it is possible and I will achieve it." Hearing him say that with so much belief and gusto was the highlight of my week. If we want to instill anything in these kids, it's the notion that regardless of the circumstances in which they grow up, they need to dream for a better life and truly believe that they can achieve whatever they want.
Next week we are going to do the same exercise, but with six African women in honor of International Women's Day on March 8th. I am excited and hopeful that many of the girls will be inspired by these stories and that they will be able to recall them when they are faced with obstacles or challenges on the way to achieving their own dreams!
In other programming news, we've been focusing on dreams and goal setting with the kids. We had the kids write or draw about what they wanted to be when they grew up and it was so awesome listening to them share their dreams with us and get excited about their futures. I sincerely hope that many of the kids we work with are indeed able to accomplish their dreams, even if the odds are stacked against them.
After spending a week talking about their dreams, we spent this past week introducing them to African men who have accomplished big dreams of their own either in their home country or abroad. The kids loved hearing about people just like them, who grew up in the same conditions in Africa and were able to achieve their goals despite many setbacks that they encountered. It was so inspirational being able to discuss the stories of these men with the kids, and see the kids really take these stories to heart. I asked one group what they would say to someone if that person told them that their dream was impossible. One of the boys, Farouk raised his hand and said confidently, "I would tell them that it is my dream, and so it is possible and I will achieve it." Hearing him say that with so much belief and gusto was the highlight of my week. If we want to instill anything in these kids, it's the notion that regardless of the circumstances in which they grow up, they need to dream for a better life and truly believe that they can achieve whatever they want.
Next week we are going to do the same exercise, but with six African women in honor of International Women's Day on March 8th. I am excited and hopeful that many of the girls will be inspired by these stories and that they will be able to recall them when they are faced with obstacles or challenges on the way to achieving their own dreams!
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