Serving Kawanda

When I try to explain what I am doing when I come to Africa, I always shudder at the word “help”. I have struggled to find a way to express what I am doing. These people do not need my help and I am wrong in saying that I am coming to help. But yesterday, as we were returning from Nateete and Karine and I were talking about how Niteo could be involved with Living Hope, I found the word to say what I am doing here: serve. How can I serve these people? What do I have to offer? I am not here to help; I am here to serve as they need.

I am a teacher and I can offer my experiences and passions as a teacher for the Ugandans to use these in the best way to serve them. Last year we were able to share how teaching in Uganda and in Canada is similar and what the challenges are that we face within the education system. I did not teach the teachers at Kawanda how to teach. I shared ideas with them and we picked each other’s brains about curriculum and best teaching practice. It was amazing.

Today the team travelled to Kawanda Senior Secondary. I was so excited to drive along the same road that I travelled only five times before and yet I feel that I have known that road my whole life. I recognized landmarks and pot-holes and knew exactly where to turn to reach the beautiful campus of the school.

Seeing my friends today was amazing: Mr. Hussein, Ali, P. Louis, Sainab, and others that I had the pleasure of working with and talking to last year. But of course the highlight for me was to see Muhamad again. He is so kind and gracious and just an incredible person. Mr. Hussein informed us that Muhamad is working on a Biology textbook in his spare time (spare time?). Muhamad said that he had only just begun but has completed 500 pages so far. What an amazing person.

We toured the school and saw the students doing their Chemistry practical exam and other students writing a History exam. I spoke briefly with Remi, the student who I connected with last year, as she was writing her exam. “Is it easy?” I asked. “It is fair.” she replied. As we walked around the school, Muhamad explained that the students were supposed to be leaving Saturday but because we were coming, they bumped the schedule by one day so that the students would still be writing exams on Friday and leaving Sunday. We were there an hour and they changed the end of term to accommodate us. What amazingly gracious people.

Back in Kelowna, I had the good fortune of reading an email posted in the general section of my school district’s website from a Science equipment provider who was offering Science equipment for schools in the district. I spoke with him about Niteo and the connection with Kawanda and he offered anything that he had that Kawanda could use. I offered this to Muhamad and he spoke with the Science staff to see what they could use. I passed that on to Mr. Shawlee and he provided everything that was on the list. I had the honour and privilege of bringing these items to the school today.

Mr. Hussein and Muhamad couldn’t believe their eyes. There were things there that were too expensive to purchase for the school and things that could not be purchased even if the school had the money. They were most excited about the resistors. Lauren, a team member who has just completed her bio-chemistry degree, whispered that resistors are just thrown away at home.

There were also a couple of textbooks on Physical Geography that I had used in University that I brought for Ali. He was flipping through them, showing another teacher, and he commented on how practical the book was. “Our information is very theoretical,” he said, “but this is so practical.”

We probably brought 75lbs of Science and Math equipment for the school. Things that we would have or that we could get at the drop of a hat if we wanted to. Mr. Hussein did not know what to say. He didn’t need to say anything. It was my pleasure to serve.