SMU student volunteers aid widows, children in Uganda project
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The heart of Africa was full of surprises for a group of Dallas students who spent their spring break volunteering in Uganda .
But there were also reminders of home.
“I was surprised at how developed it was, there were lots of skyscrapers,” said Stephanie Fedler, one of seven SMU students who spent a week in March in Central Africa as part of the Ugandan American Partnership Organization’s Akola Project.
Gridlock was another similarity, although traffic laws appeared to be optional.
“The traffic was ridiculous,” Fedler said. “There are basically no rules, which was kind of scary.”
But nearly 50 miles outside of the capital, Kampala, it felt like another world, the students said. They traveled through a rain forest and passed the Equator during the slow journey to five sites where the project provides relief to local widows.
When the bus of American students pulled up to the first village, they were greeted by a group of women who performed a song and dance for them in traditional garb.
“It was the warmest welcome of my life,” Fedler said.
One day, the group helped women make necklaces, which they sell as part of the project.
“These women work so hard to give back to their families,” said Carolyn Angiolillo, a senior. “They sacrifice so much, yet they are so happy.”
Another day was spent at local schools, where the SMU students helped children practice their English and passed out writing books and pencils.
“It makes you sit back and think about what’s important,” said Angiolillo, after witnessing a schoolboy sharpening his pencil with a large knife that he brought to school.
The students went off the grid for a week, leaving behind cellphones and computers, and living with limited access to the Internet.
“It’s a little uncomfortable at first,” senior Whitney Bartels said, “but after you get used to it, it can actually be quite liberating.”
The students said they never felt unsafe and always felt welcome.
“Whether we were walking through the villages or riding on our bus through town,” Bartels said, “the people - especially the children - would always stop what they were doing and run up to us to wave or give us a hug.”
The students were excited about their efforts but said further support is needed. They hope to market the trip to other college students to continue the mission in Uganda.
(Source: dallasnews.com)
