As I've mentioned before, we have two SWB sites in Uganda. The site where we live is Ndejje, but the other site is in Kabalaga, which is on the outskirts of Kampala, and is run by a local staffer, Raphael, and a few of his friends, all of whom are Congolese refugees. Raphael has been living in Uganda for a few years now, and has managed to pick up a lot of English. For Congolese refugees to survive here it is imperative that they learn English as quickly as possible, because the primary languages spoken in the DR Congo are French and Swahili, neither of which are spoken in Uganda.
Acknowledging the importance of learning English and the fact that many refugees can't afford to take a class that charges fees, Rapha suggested that SWB start and English school. He took the initiative and started to offer classes from 8-10 each morning, Monday through Friday. There are two classes available, a beginner's class and an intermediate level. While the makeup of the classes consist mostly of adult students, there are also some kids who attend because they need to learn English before they can start attending primary school here in Uganda.
A few weeks ago, I sat in on one of the classes because I was considering getting involved. It was so inspirational to watch these adults work so hard to learn English. I knew instantly that this was something that I wanted to help out with, so now I head to Kabalagala at 6:30 am every Monday and Friday morning to help teach the intermediate level class. Already I have started to see improvement in the students' pronunciations and they are starting to understand different concepts that are introduced each week. I really enjoy talking to them after class as well, and they are so grateful for the opportunity to learn English.
The intermediate class has many women in it, a few of whom are my age, and we've really hit it off. After class we walk together for a while since we are all headed in the same direction, and have conversations to get to know one another and also so that they can practice their English. Two of the women have invited me over this Friday to meet their family and to teach me how to make traditional Congolese food. I can't wait!
I am so inspired by these people who have had to pick up their entire lives and shift from a conflict-torn country to one in which they don't understand they language, yet they are determined to succeed. As we converse, they are constantly asking me to correct their mistakes because they are so eager to learn and they want to be sure that they are pronouncing things and forming sentences correctly. These last few weeks spent in class with them have been really fulfilling and enjoyable. It has made me realize though, that it is difficult to teach a language that you grew up speaking because structural rules that are inherent to you are easy to breeze over. Sometimes I feel like I am back in elementary school having to think about how I was formally taught English! Despite the difficulties though, I am really enjoying working with and getting to know all of the students in the class.
The SWB girls' team from Ndejje, Uganda
I just graduated from the University of Illinois where I played on the Fighting Illini's varsity soccer team for four years. The past three springs, I have served as the assistant coach to Champaign Centennial's Girls Varsity Soccer Team. Additionally, I have volunteered in Rio Verde, Mexico the past three summers as a coach for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes sports camp. I have a passion for coaching and working in Mexico really opened my eyes to how blessed young players in the United States are to have the opportunities they do to participate in organized sports. For this reason, I chose to volunteer for Soccer Without Borders as a long-term intern. The values that Soccer Without Borders promotes are values that I believe are important and I look forward to working with the kids in Uganda. This is a chance for me to step outside of my comfort zone and really give back to the game that has provided me with so many incredible opportunities. To everyone who is supporting me in this endeavor, thank you so much. I will do my best to send out updates of my experiences before, during, and after the ten months I spend living in Uganda. I am very excited about this adventure, but also somewhat nervous and even a bit scared! However, I am confident that my experiences over the past four years have prepared me well for what is to come and hopefully I will make a difference in the lives of the kids I will be working with!
Monday, April 4, 2011
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