Uganda 2018 Trip Applications Are Being Accepted

Watkinson returns to Uganda in June for our third student trip!  We will continue to work with our partners Katarara Primary School, Kyibumba Women's Center, God Is Able Nursery School and Mgahinga Community Development Organisation.  We will also be spending a few days in Rwanda visiting the Kigali Genocide Memorial.

The trip is open to students from 10th grade through PG. Applications can be found in Watkinson Notices and are due on Monday Dec 4th!!

Arrival

Safely arrived in Kisoro after a struggle to get out of the Nairobi Airport (long story). With Tony our trusted guide and old friend (picture below) we made it from Kigali, Rwanda to Uganda. Plans are set to head out to Grace's (pictured too) nursery school and women's center. Add to that all the supplies of pens, pencils and weather station equipment I'm delivering to Katarara Primary School this week it looks to be a great time with old friends!

Dr. OB Returns in June!

Next month, I will be returning to Uganda to reconnect with our partner schools and explore some options for next year's student service learning trip. It will be great to visit the teachers and students at Katarara Primary School and Mgahinga Community Development Organisation's primary school to continue strengthening the relationship between Watkinson and these schools.  I will also be traveling to the Kisoro region where we work via Kigali, Rwanda and visiting the Genocide Memorial and the Karisoke Research Center that carries on the work started by Dian Fossey to protect the mountain gorillas that live in Rwanda, Congo and Uganda. Traveling through Rwanda would reduce the time it takes to travel to Kisoro and would allow the students to experience these important places.

I will also be returning to the Kyibumba Women's Center and Nursery School. The relationship between Watkinson and Kyibumba is one of the strongest we have in Uganda.  Founded by Grace Mugisha, this center and school are the lifeblood of their community bringing income through farming and sewing to the women and education to the area's youngest children. For the past two years, we have brought donated shoes to the center and school.  The need is endless, and Grace is asking that I bring shoes again this year.  If you have any new or used shoes (especially women and children's) to donate, either drop them off on the porch of Feringa Hall at Watkinson (180 Bloomfield Ave Hartford) or contact me, and I will pick them up!

-Jen O'Brien

Donate Shoes By June 8th

Grace leading the children in dance and song!

The nursery school provides affordable education to the youngest children in the community.

Inside one of the three classrooms at the nursery school.

Trying on new shoes we brought last year.

Watkinson School's 2016 Service Team at the nursery school.