St. Francis UGANDA

I was working as a volunteer in Mbarara, Uganda was spent in the Office of the Child Sponsorship Department of St. Francis. every week working with women prisoners and the children they had given birth to during their prison sentence. I also worked one day a week in an orphanage run by a priest of the Archdiocese. I am German and was a member of the sending organization called EIRENE. In St. Francis, I helped with all kinds of office work, like ordering files, writing reports of home visitations, answering questions from parents and children who came to the office looking for some assistance, information or other need. I found these dialogues very interesting. I learned how to manage the computer files, dealing with children’s school fees payments, I learned what happened when the sponsor/child donation was no longer sufficient and we appeal to a parent/guardian/relative if possible, or to what we call “free donations” to the organisation or department without a specific target), or to the money given to us each year, by Kindermissionswerk, a German organisation assisting children in countries all over the developing world Volunteers and Visitors Immaculate and Jowitah (head of tailoring school) July 2015 I was working as a volunteer in Mbarara, Uganda—part of which was spent in the Office of the Child Sponsorship Department of St. Francis. I spent some time working with women prisoners and the children they had given birth to during their prison sentence. I also worked one day a week in an orphanage run by a priest of the Archdiocese. I am German and was a member of the sending organization called EIRENE. St. Francis, I helped with all kinds of office work, like ordering files, writing reports of home visitations, answering questions from parents and children who came to the office looking for some assistance, information or other need. I found gues very interesting. I learned how to manage the computer files, dealing with children’s school fees payments, I learned what happened when the sponsor/child donation was no longer sufficient and we had to appeal to a parent/guardian/relative if possible, or to what we call “free donations” (money given to the organisation or department without a specific target), or to the money given to us each year, by Kindermissionswerk, a German sting children in countries all over the developing world. Volunteers and Visitors 2015 6 I came to understand how much office work is needed to manage such a department. My biggest task in the office, was the communication in German, with Peter Gehlen who coordinates the work of all our German sponsors, and who actively looks for new German sponsors—a voluntary work which he has been carrying out for many many years. Translating letters from German into English and vice versa as well as helping with the translation of the annual newsletter took a lot of my time. In addition to office work, my most favourite activity of all was visiting the homes of our sponsored children and the schools which they attended. This was a look into the real life of our beneficiaries and helped me to understand their problems. What I have learned for myself through volunteering in Uganda: First of all, I gained more self-confidence here in Uganda. I learned the importance of selfawareness as a key to being there for others. Secondly, because of the variety of my experiences I came to know what I want to do with the rest of my life! One goal, is to be instrumental in stopping discrimination in our societies. Living in Uganda for a year helped me realize how beautiful and rich another culture can be and how important it is to get in contact with other people and other cultures. I saw in this year how colourful our world is. Secondly I experienced for the first time in my life what it means to be a foreigner in another land, and to be judged by the colour of one’s skin! I can now understand how it hurts trying to fit in but not really having full opportunity because of one’s “difference”.I have decided to study Education in combination with German and the pedagogy of children with special needs. With these studies, I hope to be a primary teacher in schools or classes dealing with children who have speech or language problems. I expect, in this way to meet children from very varied backgrounds and cultures. I attended a four week training in St. Francis and learned a number of skills in how to deal with groups, and to facilitate groups working through their own life problems. During these weeks of many group discussions I got a deeper look into Ugandan culture and Ugandan family life. Thanks to EIRENE, to the Family of St. Francis, and to all my sponsors who helped me a lot in this year and made it possible for me to come to Uganda. May God bless the staff, children and sponsors of the St. Francis Family! I wish you only the best in the years to come and I thank you for the great work you are doing and the support you are giving to children in need here in Uganda. I will always keep these memories in my heart and promise, that I will visit you again in Nyamitanga!