This week I really feel as though I have conquered what I wanted to do here on this trip.
On Tuesday I went back to St Barnabus School where the team helped last time.. I recieved such a lovely welcome..all the kids ran up to me with their arms open wide to give me huuuge hugs and they wouldnt let go until I was literally swamped with kids. I managed to say hey to Joyce aswel, who was looking very lovely with her hair in braids, dressed in a pinny ready to spend every day for the next month with the kids from the slums, providing a holiday programme so they have somewhere to go now school has finished.
The kids went back to playing all sorts of games with the skipping ropes and singing the 'Elephant Song' back at me. As I walked around I noticed one boy in particular was following me.. when I looked at him closely his face seemed very familiar and I remembered that this was the boy who was being abused and was living on the streets who I helped on my last visit..he just humbly came up to me and stood by my side and although he cannot speak much English I could see that it was his way of saying hi and thanking me again..it meant a lot.
In the afternoons I have been working with Mydel. Before each workshop I would meet with Pascal and we would talk about his struggles and dreams.. he shared how he has such a heart for the kids from the slums and how he will continue his work until he achieves his dream of having a large center where the orphans can live and practise with all the equipment they need.. including a football and netball pitch. As he spoke of the amount of well paid jobs which he has turned down just because he is so dedicated to working which the youth, which currently meet in a small run-down room on the edge of the slums and struggle for funds daily, I could see his passion and admired how he put that and his heart and happiness before money.
I'd meet about 15 of the youth around 2pm and head to the shack across the road, which is made extremely badly out of planks of uneven wood. Its not the safest environments.. in fact you could easily get your foot stuck inbetween the planks, but its all they had so we made the best of the shack and the fact that we had no power!
The first workshop I did with them was to encourage their own creativity in dance. I wanted to give them the skills to create their own movements so that when I am gone they can continue the dance group. I divided them into three groups and then they each choose a strip of paper which I had previously arranged, which had an emotion written on it. Each group then had to create 4 movements which expressed this emotion and then they had to show the rest of the group. We spent time analysing movement and how the different emotions can be shown in movements, focussing on the flow, shape and level of the movement. I then asked the groups to add some motion and variety to their moves by adding a turn, slide and jump. Again we analysed how they way in which we perform the moves can display the emotion intended. Then we focussed on rhythm and I got everyone to clap the rhythm and then perform their sequence to the rhythm. It actually worked very well, I bought the groups together and it became quite effective I was actually quite suprised at how well the group responded!
On Wednesday I did a Team Building Workshop. Again I wasnt too sure how it would all work out coz I've never really led anything like this but thanks to some ideas from dad I gave it a go and I was happy with the outcome. First I asked the group to form a circle and to pass the ball to eachother, ensuring each person only caught and threw the ball once. It took them a while how to figure out who had had the ball already so we discussed different ways of communicating to eachother and then they found out that by showing their hands if they hadn't yet had the ball helped. Then I asked them to remember who they caught the ball from and who they threw the ball too. After a few attempts they got a good sequence going so I threw in another ball. It was great to watch them concentrate and have to communicate well with eachother.
Next I asked the boys to lay on the floor and they had to work together to carry a girl across from the first boy to the last. This had the group in stiches they loved it. We tried it with the boys standing aswel and passing the girls down the line.. I even had a go haha! This exercise was to show how trust was important.
Then we set up an obstacle course using the worn down benches and tables which were in the shack. I used one of the girls bandana's to blind fold one person who had to be guided by another. As they began to get the hang of it I asked the rest of the group to make a load of noise whilst the guide was trying to direct the blind.. obviously it made things more difficult and hopefully it demonstrated how good clear communication and listening is important.
Afterwards we went back to the ball game and they tried beating their time of completing the whole sequence.. they were very good! They managed it in 12sec and worked well together.
On Thursday I wanted to focus on shapes and contact movement.. to get them to think outside the box and create something which would wow the audience.. I kind of improvised this but it turned out really well with one guy on anothers shoulders whilst another guy uses him to lift off the ground,using the girls poses as support whilst Aisha did a hand stand off someone elses back and others did bboy freezes on eachothers back.... er ok so its quite hard to explain by typing haha but trust me it looked good!
Then I called a meeting back in the office and we discussed as a group their aim for mydel.. i.e to become well established with a large, safe environment to practise in, with all the equipment and costumes which they need to perform and raise funds regularly. We then discussed what things they needed to make this happen and wrote a list. Previously in the morning I drew out a monthly planner for them so I could demonstrate how to organise... I explained how they needed to practise regularly and needed to be disciplined with their time.. they agreed and set Sat and Sun at 2pm for their practise. Then we discussed how they needed to have a Fundraising Day, A Costume Making Day, a Promotion Day, a Performance Day, A Reflection Meeting and a Social Event.. each at least once a month. I helped them plan these days into Jan 2010 and was amazed that all this was so new to them... but they seemed very grateful and are going to use this as a template for the following months... I think if they stick to their plan they will be able to keep it going.
Today, Friday, I went to support Mydel in their football and netball. It was lush just to chill with them and enjoying being in the field. We have grown close as a group and Im very proud of them. Today was my last day with them and they were so lovely saying goodbye they all kept coming back for hugs.. haha I think I hugged them all three times each at least!
In the evenings I have been helped Sherry and Aidah with their computer skills and this weekend I am going to give them a few presents for Christmas which they need. I have also decided to give some money to Richard, the guest house security guard who worked every hour under the sun for practically nothing.. as I have been talking to him in the evenings I have decided that giving enough money for this wife to start her own buisness will be of the biggest benefit for him and his family so am going to sort that tonight.
It has been difficult being here on my own but the kids have kept me going and I hope that I have made a more long term impact this time so they can keep things developing well. One thing which I never forget is a conversation I had with the Mydel youth when they asked me how different England was in comparison to Uganda. I explained how I admire their attitude to life as a lot of youth in England seem to have so much yet many are depressed, self harming or suffering from an eating disorder..however in Uganda, kids literally struggle to find one meal a day yet are still happy for each day and are grateful for what they do have. People in Uganda share.. if they have food or drink, they share it out even if its all they will have for the day.. if they have money they do not hold back in helping their friend.. but in England most people are out for themselves. I explained that although we may be rich in money and material things they are far richer in the quality things which really matter in life.. I think we can learn a lot from them. I certainly have and I thank everyone I have come in contact with out here who has taught me this valuable lesson.
I love you all,
Coming home now. See you soon x
On Tuesday I went back to St Barnabus School where the team helped last time.. I recieved such a lovely welcome..all the kids ran up to me with their arms open wide to give me huuuge hugs and they wouldnt let go until I was literally swamped with kids. I managed to say hey to Joyce aswel, who was looking very lovely with her hair in braids, dressed in a pinny ready to spend every day for the next month with the kids from the slums, providing a holiday programme so they have somewhere to go now school has finished.
The kids went back to playing all sorts of games with the skipping ropes and singing the 'Elephant Song' back at me. As I walked around I noticed one boy in particular was following me.. when I looked at him closely his face seemed very familiar and I remembered that this was the boy who was being abused and was living on the streets who I helped on my last visit..he just humbly came up to me and stood by my side and although he cannot speak much English I could see that it was his way of saying hi and thanking me again..it meant a lot.
In the afternoons I have been working with Mydel. Before each workshop I would meet with Pascal and we would talk about his struggles and dreams.. he shared how he has such a heart for the kids from the slums and how he will continue his work until he achieves his dream of having a large center where the orphans can live and practise with all the equipment they need.. including a football and netball pitch. As he spoke of the amount of well paid jobs which he has turned down just because he is so dedicated to working which the youth, which currently meet in a small run-down room on the edge of the slums and struggle for funds daily, I could see his passion and admired how he put that and his heart and happiness before money.
I'd meet about 15 of the youth around 2pm and head to the shack across the road, which is made extremely badly out of planks of uneven wood. Its not the safest environments.. in fact you could easily get your foot stuck inbetween the planks, but its all they had so we made the best of the shack and the fact that we had no power!
The first workshop I did with them was to encourage their own creativity in dance. I wanted to give them the skills to create their own movements so that when I am gone they can continue the dance group. I divided them into three groups and then they each choose a strip of paper which I had previously arranged, which had an emotion written on it. Each group then had to create 4 movements which expressed this emotion and then they had to show the rest of the group. We spent time analysing movement and how the different emotions can be shown in movements, focussing on the flow, shape and level of the movement. I then asked the groups to add some motion and variety to their moves by adding a turn, slide and jump. Again we analysed how they way in which we perform the moves can display the emotion intended. Then we focussed on rhythm and I got everyone to clap the rhythm and then perform their sequence to the rhythm. It actually worked very well, I bought the groups together and it became quite effective I was actually quite suprised at how well the group responded!
On Wednesday I did a Team Building Workshop. Again I wasnt too sure how it would all work out coz I've never really led anything like this but thanks to some ideas from dad I gave it a go and I was happy with the outcome. First I asked the group to form a circle and to pass the ball to eachother, ensuring each person only caught and threw the ball once. It took them a while how to figure out who had had the ball already so we discussed different ways of communicating to eachother and then they found out that by showing their hands if they hadn't yet had the ball helped. Then I asked them to remember who they caught the ball from and who they threw the ball too. After a few attempts they got a good sequence going so I threw in another ball. It was great to watch them concentrate and have to communicate well with eachother.
Next I asked the boys to lay on the floor and they had to work together to carry a girl across from the first boy to the last. This had the group in stiches they loved it. We tried it with the boys standing aswel and passing the girls down the line.. I even had a go haha! This exercise was to show how trust was important.
Then we set up an obstacle course using the worn down benches and tables which were in the shack. I used one of the girls bandana's to blind fold one person who had to be guided by another. As they began to get the hang of it I asked the rest of the group to make a load of noise whilst the guide was trying to direct the blind.. obviously it made things more difficult and hopefully it demonstrated how good clear communication and listening is important.Afterwards we went back to the ball game and they tried beating their time of completing the whole sequence.. they were very good! They managed it in 12sec and worked well together.
On Thursday I wanted to focus on shapes and contact movement.. to get them to think outside the box and create something which would wow the audience.. I kind of improvised this but it turned out really well with one guy on anothers shoulders whilst another guy uses him to lift off the ground,using the girls poses as support whilst Aisha did a hand stand off someone elses back and others did bboy freezes on eachothers back.... er ok so its quite hard to explain by typing haha but trust me it looked good!Then I called a meeting back in the office and we discussed as a group their aim for mydel.. i.e to become well established with a large, safe environment to practise in, with all the equipment and costumes which they need to perform and raise funds regularly. We then discussed what things they needed to make this happen and wrote a list. Previously in the morning I drew out a monthly planner for them so I could demonstrate how to organise... I explained how they needed to practise regularly and needed to be disciplined with their time.. they agreed and set Sat and Sun at 2pm for their practise. Then we discussed how they needed to have a Fundraising Day, A Costume Making Day, a Promotion Day, a Performance Day, A Reflection Meeting and a Social Event.. each at least once a month. I helped them plan these days into Jan 2010 and was amazed that all this was so new to them... but they seemed very grateful and are going to use this as a template for the following months... I think if they stick to their plan they will be able to keep it going.
Today, Friday, I went to support Mydel in their football and netball. It was lush just to chill with them and enjoying being in the field. We have grown close as a group and Im very proud of them. Today was my last day with them and they were so lovely saying goodbye they all kept coming back for hugs.. haha I think I hugged them all three times each at least!
In the evenings I have been helped Sherry and Aidah with their computer skills and this weekend I am going to give them a few presents for Christmas which they need. I have also decided to give some money to Richard, the guest house security guard who worked every hour under the sun for practically nothing.. as I have been talking to him in the evenings I have decided that giving enough money for this wife to start her own buisness will be of the biggest benefit for him and his family so am going to sort that tonight.
It has been difficult being here on my own but the kids have kept me going and I hope that I have made a more long term impact this time so they can keep things developing well. One thing which I never forget is a conversation I had with the Mydel youth when they asked me how different England was in comparison to Uganda. I explained how I admire their attitude to life as a lot of youth in England seem to have so much yet many are depressed, self harming or suffering from an eating disorder..however in Uganda, kids literally struggle to find one meal a day yet are still happy for each day and are grateful for what they do have. People in Uganda share.. if they have food or drink, they share it out even if its all they will have for the day.. if they have money they do not hold back in helping their friend.. but in England most people are out for themselves. I explained that although we may be rich in money and material things they are far richer in the quality things which really matter in life.. I think we can learn a lot from them. I certainly have and I thank everyone I have come in contact with out here who has taught me this valuable lesson.
I love you all,
Coming home now. See you soon x
No comments:
Post a Comment