Local teen’s humanitarian trip to Uganda filled with difficulty, success
As of late, with budget reviews and layoffs dominating the headlines, it can be easy to lose perspective on what one has.
A mother-daughter team from Bethlehem recently saw in stark terms the differences in life here and elsewhere during an expedition to the African country of Uganda. Along with other members of the local group Engeye, Theresa and Sara Weinman spent 15 days in the Village of Ddegeya, working in a medical clinic, teaching schoolchildren and planning how they can help provide a better future for the next generation a half-world away.
For Sara, 16, it was her school vacation. For her mother, it was her second trip as a member of Engeye Scholars, which sponsors the education of the poorest Ugandan children. Getting to the village cost thousands of dollars out of their own pockets, 24 hours of travel and the hardships of primitive living, but they’re already planning the next trip.
I fell in love with the kids in the village, I don’t think it’s possible not to go back, said Sara Weinman.
Sara has been fundraising locally for about a year-and-a-half now, ever since becoming a co-founder of Engeye Teen Connection, a small but dedicated group of Capital District youth. She’s the first of that group to visit Uganda, though co-founder Brian Hickey is planning to make a journey as well.
One of her goals for the visit to Ddegeya was to find a worthy cause for the funds ETC is raising. Though there are certainly no shortages of hardships in the country, the lack of educational opportunities really struck her. She taught math and English classes at the Engeye afternoon tutoring program and also visited St. Gertrude’s, where Union College students have also been doing work.
In Uganda, students must pass a test to proceed on to the secondary (middle school) level. At St. Gertrude’s, no students pass and thus effectively have their life opportunities cut down to a very short list. A big part of the problem is a lack of resources for teachers, who don’t have access to textbooks or even chalk.
`Most kids in Uganda might go to school, but they’ll never touch a book,` Sara Weinman said.
She aims to change that and to provide teachers with materials so they can teach the entrance exams, and also hopes a local school here might be able to forge a partnership with St. Gertrude’s.
Sara Weinman knows the value of a personal connection to a land so far away. She’s been sponsoring Wilbur through the Engeye Scholars program and was finally able to meet him in person.
Though Engeye has a large focus on education, it has many other missions in Uganda. The expedition the Weinmans took part in was in large part running the Engeye village clinic, which is basically the only medical facility available to thousands of locals. Sara Weinman also spent a few days there in her first days in country, when she and several other travelers became ill.
That experience helped her adjust to the simple conditions in Ddegeya, however, where there was no electricity or running water.
`I got sick here, and I’m fine,` Sara said she told herself. `These people have to deal with it all the time, so I can deal with it for 15 days.`
Dealing with limited water supplies, rats, primitive toilets and showers consisting of a cup of rain water was still quite the experience, though.
`Not having clean water always next to you, that was really weird to get used to,` she said.
In fact, one of Engeye’s newest goals is to raise money to fix wells in the area. Some people have to walk for miles to get fresh water.
The country was also in the midst of elections when they arrived. There were tanks on the streets of urban areas they traveled through, but it was much quieter in the rural, agrarian village.
`It was definitely a little stressful with the elections going on. We saw a very heavy police presence throughout our trip,` said Theresa Weinman. `In the village we spent the majority of our time, there’s no electricity. You’re a million miles away, there’s no news, and they just live their life.`
Back stateside, Sara Weinman has shared her experience with the Journey United Methodist Church and is also slated to speak with students at Hamagrael Elementary School and St. Thomas, with other engagements in the works.
To learn more about Engeye or make a donation to their newest educational efforts, visit www.engeyescholars.org.“
