As residents of affluent Bethesda, it is our privilege—nay, our duty—to intern at NIH, clerk in congressional office and participate in service trips to boost our resumes and provide college essay topics.
This summer, I took the opportunity to travel to Uganda for the second time to teach and play with kids, petition the government and help businesswomen. I came to realize that not only is it a more holistic experience than any other trip can offer, but that the things I learned are worth more than an extra line on a college application.
Ten other Whitman students and I spent about two weeks in Buyobo, a tiny village in the mountains. Every day, we woke up early and enjoyed breakfast cooked by our wonderful cook Lillian. When we weren’t working, the interns would all play cards or read. It was, unsurprisingly, quite dissimilar to Bethesda life.
We spent weekdays teaching math and English to the kids at Buyobo Primary School. The teachers sent us minimal curriculum material preceding our arrival, so we had to improvise and be creative while in the classroom. It was incredible to return to the school a year later and see how what I had taught the kids last year had changed their lives.
We came into a phenomenally large class of 80 students, but teacher salaries are low and work triumphs over education among family priorities, so the kids were thankful to be there.
After our morning of teaching and lunch prepared by Lillian, we’d head out into the village to help women in the village with their businesses.
I shelled beans, folded envelopes, made nut packets, and lifted bean stalks. This experience was in fact the most morally satisfying of all because the work made an impact that was tangible. Saving hours of hard labor for these women meant more to me than I could’ve ever expected.
The women told me stories of saving up their entire lives so that their kids may go to school and see bright futures ahead of them. These mothers were among the most persevering and caring people I’ve ever met.
While attending the nightly soccer games at the school field, we talked to many kids who told us of their dreams of traveling to America one day. My only response that Buyobo is much more beautiful and that I was thrilled to be there.
On Mondays and Thursdays, we took turns teaching HIV/AIDS seminars to Buyobo Primary School and another primary school down the road. We also took the opportunity to visit district heads and discuss the progress of Buyobo.
The most important part of our trip to me, however, was the effect it had on the surrounding villages in the district. As those villages saw Buyobo’s success in implementing better techniques, they started to follow in turn. The actions of 10 students can multiply into the actions of thousands of people.
While this trip has given me a profound look at my own life and my choices, I know it was more than personally advantageous. Because after returning to Uganda and seeing my impact from last year, I can only imagine the impact everyone will have there in years to come. And as more and more people help out this little village and its people, it will one day grow prosperous. For now, though, the inhabitants of Buyobo may be struggling economically, they were some of the happiest I’ve ever seen.
