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My Uganda Top 10

July 14, 2009 04:07 PM | Posted by   Anna Rice  

It’s been ten days since my return from Uganda. Though I’m happy to be home, I wouldn’t trade the memories and experiences I had over there for anything.

Here’s my top ten list of my time working with Right To Play in Uganda.

No. 10: Badminton -- Refugee style

The two weeks we spent teaching badminton to refugees in the Kyangwali and Nakivale refugee camps were unforgettable.

Getting the chance to share the sport I love with kids who for the most part had never heard of badminton (or the Olympics) was awesome. Their stories and their resilience were more inspiring than anything else I’ve ever experienced.

No. 9: The Day of the African Child

June 16 of each year marks the Day of the African Child. I was lucky to be in Uganda that day and it was a real honour for me to be involved in the Right To Play activities in recognition of the African child.

No. 8: Mountain gorillas in the wild

The beautiful nature in Uganda was spectacular. Hippos, crocodiles, giraffes, lions, leopards and more.

But the absolute highlight was tracking the endangered mountain gorillas of the Bwindi forest. Standing within metres of a family of 15 gorillas -- including the huge silverback -- was incredible.

No. 7: Coaching badminton in Kampala -- and being wowed by the talent

I don’t know what I was expecting from the young players in Uganda. But I would have never guessed that these kids could impress me as much as they did with their badminton skills.

To say they had "Olympic potential" would be an understatement. Though the reality is that it’s unlikely they’ll ever get there.

No. 6: Dinner with Miria Matembe, Uganda’s most outspoken woman

An evening I’ll remember the rest of my life was a dinner I shared with Mrs. Miria Matembe. She is one of the most well-known women in Uganda, having spent more than 20 years as a member of parliament starting in the late 80's.

A close minister to current President Museveni until a few years ago, the two parted political ways after Museveni changed the Ugandan constitution so he could run for an unlimited number of terms as president.

No. 5: Experiencing the incredible kindness of the Ugandan culture

I’ve been to 51 countries and I have never met a friendlier or more welcoming culture than that I experienced in Uganda.

What’s more incredible than the hospitality is the genuine gratitude that the people I met hold for what they have – as little as it may be. The “glass half full” mentality was so inspiring.

No. 4: A visit to the home of a rural Ugandan family

Two years ago my mom and her friend visited a poor rural school called Kishunju, and ever since they’ve been fundraising to help pay school fees for kids from this village. The parents couldn’t afford the fees of $30 per year (Cdn.).

The parents of two of the children that the fundraising efforts had benefited invited us to their home. It was a small, mud-walled space about the size of an average bedroom, surrounded by a small yard they use for planting food.

I was moved to tears as the parents shared their gratitude. To see the true extent of rural poverty in Africa and how different their lives are, and to also feel such a connection despite the differences, was beyond words.

No. 3: The countless stories of struggle and perseverance

My friend’s name is Slyvia and she’s around my age. She moved to Kampala from her village four months ago to take a job as a live-in nanny for a working couple and their first child.

She looks after the child during the day, staying inside the two-room house that she shares with the couple and the baby.

Slyvia has four young children of her own back in her village, but with no job she had to move six hours away to the city to support them. She’s hoping she’ll be able to return to her village for a visit next year sometime.

No. 2: Learning about Right To Play from the office perspective

Getting the chance to work in Right To Play's Uganda office was an incredible learning experience for me, from visits to the local and rural activities to the day-to-day routine of the office.

No. 1: The $7,500 Johnson & Johnson Donation

I was allowed to donate $7,500 Cdn. to any project of my choosing, thanks to Johnson & Johnson and Right to Play. It was difficult to pick one, but in the end I decided to put the donation towards a field improvement project.

A park in Kampala where hundreds of kids gather to do their Right To Play activities is in really rough shape – the land is uneven, covered in rocks, and floods when it rains.

This field will be totally reconstructed so the kids can have a safer space in which to practice their right to play!

Click here to watch a highlights slideshow of my time in Uganda.

And now it’s back to the badminton court in Vancouver.

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