Uganda 2008:
It's difficult to explain what it's like in Africa to someone who has never been. The orange dusty roads with the clay like dust that clings to everything and everyone, the mingling aromas in the air - scents of fire, food, nature, sweat and often sewage. The heat of the sun beats down on you with its intense beams, slowly turning your forehead and back damp.
Dancing in the air is the constant high pitched shout of "Mzungo!" (meaning "White person") from the children as they make a mad dash to the roadside to wave at us as we bounce past on the bus. You can see the constant joy on their faces as they laugh and wave, never tiring of this game.
So often we hear stories of Africa, perhaps so often that we have become immune to it. Yes, Africa is a continent of extreme poverty, but also of extreme beauty, love and joy.
This summer I was privileged to spend a month in Uganda, working with primary school children and street kids, as part of Abaana's youth team (check out www.abaana.org). Our team consisted of 12 enthusiastic and energetic Christians between the ages of 17 and 22, with just 4 guys and 8 girls.
I could write an entire novel about my experiences in Uganda, but I wouldn't want to put you all through that. Instead, I'll try to briefly give you a flavour of the adventures that Jesus led me on. After our first weekend of relaxing and acclimatising to the heat, our team were straight into a building project at New Foundations Primary School in a village called Kiwumu (about an hour from Kampala, the capital city of Uganda). Here, we had the challenge of building two dormitories for about 30 boys who currently sleep in a classroom at the school. Now, if any of you know me, you will know how terrible I was at technology at school, so this week was filled with many interesting moments. I should also mention that Ugandan Health and Safety regulations are pretty non-existent, which is how I managed to get away with building a wall 21 bricks high, standing on two stacked bricks on two planks of wood, balanced across wooden scaffolding on a slope.
The second week was a glimpse into the reality of African life for us. We travelled to Matthew Cardwell Primary School in Mpata to run a summer scheme for the children there. Our team resided at the primary school for the week, living as most Ugandans do with no electricity or running water, mosquitoes galore and jumping spiders that live in the long drop toilets and run after you at night. It was one of those incredible weeks when you feel as if you are dancing on a mountain top, with nothing materialistic or human to cloud the presence of God.
These children are absolutely incredible, so full of joy even though they have very little and so eager to learn more about God. Each day we sang songs, played games, had a drama, talk, quiz, "pick a Mzungo challenge", memory verse and craft (including the infamous "Pop up Jesus"!) In the evenings, we played with the few children who played in the school fields. It broke my heart to realise that these children don't actually go to the school because they are just too poor to be able to afford it. Child sponsorship makes such a difference - I've seen the results first hand and I would encourage everyone to please consider it.
The arrival of the third week signalled a change in the nature of our work and a challenge to each member of our team. This was the street kids' week, greatly anticipated but also slightly feared. Each morning, working alongside Abaana's street reach programme, we headed out to a large playing field in Kampala where we met around 300 boys aged roughly between 11 and 17. Throughout the week we played various games with the boys and gave them some lunch, trying to show them that Jesus loves them and thinks they're amazing, and helping them to be children again, if only for a few hours.
We encountered 11 year old boys high on solvents and 7 year old girls who were drunk; guys who had walked for a month to escape from the LRA in Gulu and guys who have the most amazing faith in Jesus that I have ever seen, even though they have lived on the streets for several years and literally have nothing. I have had to leave these boys in the rain of a thunderstorm as we packed into our bus and drove away and I have given hugs and handshakes as we got off the bus. I have cried over the injustice and laughed over a Frisbee, lost games of Ludo and yet won so many friends. I see Jesus in each one of these guys, in their laughter, their pain, their stories.
But there is still hope on these streets - there is always hope with Jesus. Eight months ago Abaana opened their street kid homes, where 29 boys now live and have a real chance at life and a future. We spent the afternoons of the third week with these boys, and it was such an encouragement to see how completely different their lives are now. We ran workshops with them, learnt to play African drums from them and danced in the rain, running barefoot through the mud.
And these homes aren't full - there is room for so many more boys to have a chance at life, but Abaana doesn't have the funding for it yet. If ten people were to give £10 a month, then ten more boys could leave the streets forever. It's one of those things - to us, it's such a small amount but to them, it makes so much difference.
Sadly, our final week rolled around, filled with a variety of activities. We went back to the streets for one more morning, visited a slum, took the boys who live in the homes to the swimming pool for the day and visited a craft market. All good things must come to an end, life continues, and here I am back in Northern Ireland. But I will never forget my time in Uganda, nor the people I met and left my heart with. If anyone has the chance to go to Africa, please do - it will change your life forever.