2020 UGANDA - Two weeks in

I am in a sea of smiles, the sun is on my face laughing at my hat’s failed attempts at blocking it and my body is moving to a silent tune. This is how most of our sessions start- smiles, laughter and movement. Though they often start the same, as we continue with our time here in Rwamwanja we learn there is no single way a session should look. There is no formula and there are no rules. Some sessions are full of balls and others of dancing, and sometimes of colourful parachutes and tag games. They are all the same but different. They are made of different ingredients, different games, but make the same results- smiles and laughter and movement.

This week, our sessions were full of the game “Rounders”. In this game one player on the first team bats the ball and has to run around stations while the second team’s players try to catch the ball and stop them by throwing the ball at the runner. This game was one of the more complex yet rewarding games we have tried so far. Some sessions the children got the game perfectly after a short explanation, while other sessions took the persistence of our team to make sure the children understood. However, without an exception in all the sessions the kids loved the game and learned a great deal playing it. The children got to hit a ball with the bat for the first time, they got to work in a team and experience a new kind of team work. And maybe most importantly, they learned, along with us, that sometimes the hardest things are the most rewarding and that perseverance is key.

In addition to our usual sessions with Early Childhood Development, primary and secondary schools, this week we had our first two sessions with the vocational education students who are older than the children we are used to playing with. I have to admit- I was scared. I was scared that they wouldn’t like the games or see the value in our session, but the opposite was true. When we first arrived they were hesitant at first, even a bit shy and embarrassed, wondering why they, a group of adults, should take part in a play session. However, as we played they opened up and became more and more engaged. Soon, I found myself trying to control a group of very excited young adults who were determined to participate and play their hardest. This came to a peak when my team won “Tug of War'' and the students broke into roars of joy- never in my life have I seen a group of people so happy. After that session, when we got back to the van and onto the familiar bumpy road I realised we were giving those students something invaluable- the opportunity to win as a group or lose as a group but most importantly try as a group.

These sessions, the ones that start quiet and end loud are what remind me of why we are here. We are here to empower these children and young adults and to give them the opportunity to shine they did not know existed. I believe our sessions encourage them not only to shine while playing but also help them live a brighter life.

#WAP 2020

 By Gaia