What to pack for ICS in Uganda?

What to pack for ICS in Uganda? 

Skirts on or below the knee. They don't have to be really long if thats not your thing but in the village people will stare at you more if your wear trousers. 

Lots of tops - washing is really annoying in Uganda. The more tops you bring the less you have to do it. 

Lamps/Torches/Lights. If you don't have electricity you will wish you had brought a lot of these. They are quite expensive and eat into your set-up budget. 

Chocolate. Chocolate in Uganda in the same price as the UK. While Cadburys Top Deck and Hazelnut Truffles became our expensive indulgence/addiction - it will save you a LOT of cash. 

A smart phone - it doesn't have to be fancy but unlock your UK phone and bring it. If you don't have one buy a cheap one here - they are much cheaper. It means you can get onto Facebook and Wattsapp in your house which makes you feel much less cut off from the UK. 

Something with movies. A lot of us had our iPad or laptops and they are quite useful when you get into the long nights. 

Battery Packs and Solar Panels. These are a life send and so useful! 

Photos of your family and friends. People love to look at photos of your family and friends and they are great to decorate your room with. 

Toiletries for 3 months. You will need to bring everything you like to have. DO NOT FORGET - pads and tampons, sun cream, insect repellent and conditioner. I didn't see them anywhere here. Also try out the Lush Shampoo and Conditioner bars - they are much easier with the bucket showers. 

A few treats. A body scrub, some normal shampoo, nail polish, body moisturiser. It is nice to have something to make you feel good about yourself once in a while. 

A normal outfit. In Jinja people wear normal clothes and some of the Ugandans commented we looked frumpy. There are a lot of places to buy clothes there but having some jeans or leggings and a top is good. AVOID shorts or short skirts/dresses though - you don't see internationals wearing them. 

Trainers, Flip flops and normal shoes. Your feet and shoes get really muddy and ruined so don't bring your favourite pair. Your mum will make you through them out when you get home. 

What is ICS with Restless Development Uganda really like?

Hi, I'm Elly. I volunteered in Nakalama from January to April 2015. I celebrated my 22nd Birthday when I was out there. I was in Nakalama with Ella from the UK. Joe and Juliet lived with us too. Our team leaders - Tara and Peter - lived in a gorgeous home stay in the same village. 

Now onto the ICS experience: 

It isn't easy. That is the number one comment I would make. There are times when all you want to do is pack your bags and catch a ride to the airport. Times you phone home with tears streaming down your cheeks. Times you are sitting in the doctors surgery with bloods being taken and think "was this worth it?"

The answer to that question is YES! 

You will learn a lot about yourself and be taught a lot about the world on your trip. In no way is this a one-way educational experience. You won't even realise what you have learnt until you get back to the UK and one of your friends comments on their weight, hair or latest iPhone. At that moment you are likely to lean over to your phone and Wattsapp an ICS buddy to say "Remember that time..."

Whatever you are running from or hoping to find - you will find something completely different from what you were expecting. "Africa" isn't really what you expect - every time you go round a corner it will surprise you. It's not the basic, starving population you read about - people have iPhones, facebook, instagram. In the towns, they wear Billabong, listen to One Direction and have Cadburys. But in the village you will see people without shoes or children brought up without money - the most important thing is not to pity them - they don't want it. 

Now, when you are in the village the accommodation will be basic. Not straw or mud hut basic but no running water, maybe no electricity, and wildlife haven basic. My 'house' (concrete room) was at the bottom of the accommodation scale. We didn't have electricity, our squat toilet was full, we didn't have windows in some rooms, we had over £200 worth of stuff stolen and we had 'flesh-nipping' ants and 500 bats to contend with. But despite that you learn to not care, or just get used to it pretty quickly. Honestly I really miss my bucket showers - they were way better for the hair, used less water and were a lot more refreshing. *Note: most volunteers had beds, windows, electricity, food and nothing stolen - ours was the exception not the rule*

In the village you will at first be a celebrity then you will become a friend. You are treated with the utmost kindness and respect, there isn't a moment I worried about my safety. Whether that was walking down a deserted dust track at 10pm or going to talk to 25 laddy and slightly intimidating boys. The one time I was slightly worried a boy ran out his house and offered to walk me home. They truly want you to be safe and care about you the same as all their neighbours. 

They also trust you and that is one of your greatest resources. Our neighbours trusted us to look after their six-month-old baby on regular occasions and in return they vouched for us and advertised our events. You need people to trust and respect you - the reason behind many features of the 'code of conduct'. 

That is not to say that you will not have difficulties with the culture. For us these came in the charity HQ or with our Ugandan counterparts but they are quickly overcome and you learn to defend what you believe in. This actually was a pretty good learning curve for me - if you believe something is wrong tell them and they are likely to listen. 

Now down to what you will spend your days doing. You will be in school teaching about health, business or agriculture, you will be travelling to rural youth groups and teaching a pretty similar syllabus and you will be organising events. But this is just a very small amount of your time. A vast amount of your time is spent planning these things, building up long-term alliances with politicians and new schools, and just getting out into the community and spreading the word. 

After your first month you will want to take initiative and get out a bit more. By my third month I spent my weekend off travelling around different charities in the area and seeing what they did and how I could help, this resulted in me running a health class in an orphanage, doing social media for a women's charity and helping two footballers from my village get a job with a sports charity in the nearby town. My English counterpart learnt how to make recyclable sanitary pads and then taught the girls in our community how to do that so they could stay in school. You have the opportunity to make even more of a difference if you just jump out and do it. 

My main tips for your ICS experience are: 

1) Pack all the toiletries you will need for three months - you will need to bring them. Especially sun cream, insect repellent and pads/tampons. Try out the lush shampoo and conditioner bars. 

2) Write a list of what you want to achieve every month and then go and try and achieve them. 

3) Don't see anything as a barrier. If you want to do it then find a way to do it. I am talking charity and work wise here - your insurance will not cover somethings for a reason :) 

4) If you are home sick at the start - I was seriously bad for over a month - hang in there. Use your support network at home and find somewhere more you in the community - eventually you will find your niche. For me the football teams, for others the local cafe. People out there aren't that different so if you can find your niche in the UK, theres one for you there too. Even if you don't find your niche in the UK, you are very likely to find it there. 

5) Finally immerse yourself in the culture. If you treat this as a holiday or a trip, that is what it will be. The moment you start making friends with the locals and just hanging out with them you will see the real problems they contend with. It is more inspiring and informing and makes you a lot less homesick. 

6) Practice your twerk - dancing is a way of life in Uganda and be prepared to laugh at yourself. We don't have the natural junk in the trunk if you get what I am saying. 

It is an amazing experience in a beautiful country and will change how you look at things forever. I hope you have an amazing time and if you want any more advice let me know x 

This one is one small step for a man, maybe one giant leap for mankind??: Inspiration from others.

So I might have been seriously quiet in terms of blogs for the past few weeks and that could have various reasons. Mostly that would surround the fact that we had a weekend off, then barely any sessions so what was I going to tell you about, what could I actually write about...

Well I figured something out - inspiration.

For my last week the sessions were running dry but inspiration was not.

During the weekend off I pulled Rhi and Radha to visit a charity called X-SUBA Uganda. It is run by two guys, one of whom I had become quite close to. It's helps children in a Walukuba East, a village just out of Jinja. The charity started with basketball but has now expanded to use soccer and cricket to promote personal life development and gender equality for children. It also teaches life skills and computer skills. All in all, it is one of the most inspiring and incredible charities I have come across and I hope you can check it out.

A day later I came across another charity. This one is a children's hospital which helps orphans from Northern Uganda. While I didn't get much information surrounding it I did maybe manage to organise a job opportunity so that's pretty cool.

Later on in the week I went to visit Emmanuel's missionary school just outside of Ignanga. It was pretty amazing. The children, ranging from 3 to 13, were all so happy, educated and well cared for, I spent a few hours playing with them and didn't see one child without a smile on their faces. The difference one guy can make to this many children's lives is amazing.

So pretty much this week has taught me that you can be inspired by everyone. The people above (and Cianne) are people, people who due to hard work and determination are changing the lives of others. This is so inspiring.

On Wednesday, I may have turned up to teach S6 and not had anyone to teach, but then I did suddenly get accosted by two of the girls who had come to find me and say thank you. Why? Their class normally involved banter and inappropriate jokes with the boys, but as the two girls I felt like I had failed them. They said - "you stand in front of our class and you make the boys listen. You show them when they are wrong and help to make them better fathers and husbands in the future. Most of all you have never let us not talk, never let us not be heard. For that we are grateful and will miss you". I was in shock when they said this. Complete shock. But it also gave me hope.

I have always said that my dream is to change the world for the better, even if that is just one person's world. Seeing the amazing work done by the charities above gave me inspiration that one person can make a difference. These girls gave me hope that maybe, just maybe, through hope and determination I could join them. If everyone tried to change the world to be a fairer, better and healthier society which cares for every person born into it, then maybe a difference could really be made. Maybe the world could make one step nearer to a humane place. Somewhere people don't need to suffer due to someone else's gain. I will stop this rant now but I am inspired to try and get my dream, to make a difference, I hope that maybe some of you are too.

Over and out and webele for all the support. Xx

Life, death and everything in between.

So it might seem a bit early for another blog but hey we have reached our targets and it's the end of era. This week has been all about ends of era according to facebook and BBC. Zany left One Direction OHMYGAWD. Lol. Obviously that is a slight piss take but people here are even talking about it so you know word gets around.

This week has actually been quite bizarre. It's wierd knowing that you are about to leave a country which has taken you on a complete emotional roller coaster. It's wierd to know you have just over a week to do everything you have wanted to do in your community. So this week has been pretty productive.

On Sunday, Ella and Corrine's idea became a reality. Two weeks ago Ella was given a note by a girl begging her to buy sanitary pads. Her and Corrinne then researched how to make reusable ones and taught girls for the first time on Sunday. Polly and I tagged along and I was so proud of them. They taught the prefects of IBUN BAZ, who can now hopefully teach lots of girls. Good day!

On Monday I headed to Jinja for some meetings but Joe, Juliet and Ella taught S1 all about menstration and got them to evaluate the lessons we have been teaching.

On Tuesday came a big day. We had a session in the morning at the primary school, which consisted of songs and the hookie kookie, as well as bit of evaluation. The kids were having so much fun which was great. We held a parent talk on Tuesday afternoon which was great. The parents didn't really turn up as wet season has started so they are all in the fields, but the LC3 found some for us.

They actually asked so many questions as we discussed the rights of a child, the abuse cycle and the different work we had been doing which was great. Soon after the LC informed me I was the "perfect woman" as had a meeting with him while also looking after Colin from next door. But hey who said girls can't multitask. In the evening a girl came to ask for condoms and to help her to know how to lose her virginity that night, these things happen I guess.

We also had so much paperwork to do which was massively hard work.

On Wednesday we had three sessions and joe had gone home, Ella taught sanitary pads at the primary school, including the girl who had given her the note.  Juliet taught farming to one out of school youth group. I taught S6 about HIV and STI and they understood me which was a massive plus. The questions were great and they learnt a lot more about CD4 counts, PEP and all felt sick having seen pictures of some of the symptoms of STI. They even wrote on the board that they would never play sex again haaa.


On Thursday we headed to Kakongoka and joe and Juliet ran a youth group on drug abuse, which Juliet and I had planned in the morning. Hopefully it went well. I headed to the football field and distributed 96 condoms to the captain. Fingers crossed they use them.

So tomorrow is the weekend off and there is a terror threat so unfortunately we will not be able to visit the equator or Kampala which sucks massively, but I'm sure we will find a way to have lots of fun in Jinja.

We could all do with it, this week might have had lots of good work but everyone but one person died in a taxi crash at the end of our road so it does make you think. That and the news of the airplane crash in the alps make you realise that you never know what will happen the next day. Maybe that is one of the major lessons here - live every moment as if it's your last.

So with that good night and once again thank you for the support. It is now possible to see how some of the work here really makes a difference. In the next week we have a few sessions with new youth, but also will be visiting some other charities which should be good. Sulle bolungie. Xx

Career planning, gender based violence and litter picking,,

This has been tough but productive.

This week we taught s1 and s2 all about life skills and life goals. We had aspiring presidents, doctors, accountants and engineers. Only one aspiring musician and soccer player, which would be different to asking a group of 12 and 13 year olds in the UK. We then went through the different knowledge, skills and attitude you would need to get to these goals. A very useful 4 sessions for the kids, we hope.

On Tuesday we taught primary 6 all about male and female puberty. This meant drawing all the changes on some outlines of a boy and girl child. We had the whole she-bang, then lead the children to repeat "I love me" while explaining and showing all girls and boys are different sizes and shapes.

On Wednesday we taught S6 for the first time and it was so nice as Ella and I got to teach a session by ourselves. It was inspiring to actually teach a lesson and not have to be a slated. So good. We taught it all about contraception and teenage pregnancy. It was a very in depth conversation from penis size, to which contraception pill to use, but hopefully useful.

On Thursday, Joe and Juliet taught saving and proposal writing to the youth group, while Ella and I got started on events planning. By Friday we had two lessons and our community dialogue with the crime preventers and all the LC officials. It was gender roles and domestic violence and definitely was a very interesting discussion.

Certain view points were interesting, that a man can rape his wife if she refuses sex for example. But also we got across how bad this can be for the children in the house and how vulnerable it can make them. It was such a worthwhile and invigorating session. I am so glad to have done it, and make clear that men and women can be victims.

In the evening we held an advice centre session answering questions from condoms and HIV for the teenagers who came in.

Today we held a  litter pick in the market with Mukutu in the market place. It is meant to promote civic participation which it slightly did as some kids and others joined in.

Tomorrow we are teaching sanitary pads in the Muslim school and on Tuesday we wills run a parent session which should be good. So as we enter the penultimate week on placement wish us luck.

This week has also been good as we have made so a any friends involved in such a variety of charities out here. With such a creative mind, change can actually occur. From running new style nursery schools, to soccer clubs, to charities which help women's voices get heard and one which uses basketball to encourage boys and girls to play together - people working together is actually making a difference.

So with that, good bye. Thanks for all the support and lots of love xx

320 girls, 100 condoms and a lot of interactive learning - wiggling our way to a healthier Nakalama

So this week has been a week of contrast where you realise you don't have enough time to do everything you want to do but am also really starting to crave home.

Monday dawned and Joe, Ella and I were still learning to cope without Mumma Juliet. We jumped into teaching about compost, kitchen gardens and sustainable agriculture. Doing this in theory started to be tough so we took to chalk on the floor and getting the youth to be the sticks and wrap themselves around one another. Monday was also welfare so we all ranted and cried to Tara and Peter but at the end of the day had a team meeting and resolved a lot of problems.

In Tuesday we started the day with a primary school session where we talked about finding your future dreams and finding five year plans. Most revolved around staying in school and working hard, but it soon came clear that this hard not only because of exams but because parents can't afford the fees. It was still inspiring to hear from so many children.

Afterwards we made our way into Jinja for countless doctors appointments and I got called into office for some 'meetings'. Turns out what happens in Jinja doesn't stay amongst the volunteers but hey, it will be sorted soon.

Still feeling pretty ill we headed back to Nakalama and prepared for a new youth group on Wednesday 40 minuite away. It was a long ride but quite fun. We taught about family planning, HIV and condoms. We ended giving well over 50 away to quite a small group.

Thursday dawned with Anthony's youth group. We headed over and joe taught about resource mobilisation and record keeping which we hope was really helpful. Ella and I played with babies, ran the energisers and distributed condoms. Turns out when you can't speak Lusoga you wiggle.

With Friday we jumped back into school teaching kitchen gardens, sustainable agriculture and compost again but our classes had halved as kids couldn't afford the school fees. Good thing is that children from the older classes try to climb through windows and doors in order to listen to what we are saying. Our cheeky monkeys were in full force wiggling their way and singing the condom sing even when we are teaching about farming. Totally love them to pieces.

Got called to Jinja again and got wet in the taxi as got caught in a storm. On the way back Radha and Rhiannon and I needed up in a taxi stuck in a ditch in the pitch black. They told everyone but us to get out as 20 plus men tried to throw the taxi out of the ditch. I moved a on the wheel and in the process got thrown over the taxi. Musungu everywhareeee.

Returned to the beautiful surprise of Mumma Juliet in much better health woo. On Saturday I headed early into Iganga and then went to a football event in Busembatia which was wicked. I rode a body bicupycle sideways with a. Guy called Fred who was so nice so that was lots of fun. The kids were running up the side which was quite funny.

Sunday came and with it food shopping. Which was not overpriced and done on my own. I also managed to get the body driver to apply for ICS and pumped and collected water in my own. What a successful start to the day.

We then held an amazing health centre talk in IBUN BAZ, the all girls schol that Ella and I begged the headmistress to let us hold. 320 girls came to here about me station and periods  and asked lots of lots of questions, like why you get period pain, to why more women get pregnant in dry season and one of my favourites whether it was true that your first baby would die if you threw your sanitary pad down the pit latrine.... Guess I have a lot of dead first born babies then. Rose and Stella the nurses were amazing and talked of how cultural rumours like that could make people very ill and answered the questions amazingly. The girls were so friendly and grateful, and really wanted us to come back regularly. I really hope we can.

So that is this week and we officially have 3 weeks left in placement and a lot of events to run. So here is to the next few weeks and some prayers for health would ape amazing as I am so fed up of being ill. Thank you for all the support. Sulle bolungie. Xx

Two weeks and international woman's day.

So I may have been quiet but with good reason. On the not so great side I had malaria, recovered from malaria then been repeatedly diagnosed with bacterial infection after bacterial infection. Doctors here are so different, for one they are not free. After that you have a full blood test and wait for the results - meaning you actually find out what you have, which is pretty helpful.

We had an epic weekend off. We went to the source of Nile and paddled up to the sign. The shops were even in the river. We then experience Uganda clubbing which to be honest is pretty similar to the uk. But what happened in the weekend is I fell in live with Jinja, it's such a friendly and amazing place.

Now we are back and back to work. Ella and joe taught STIs to the you group, but school has exams, yesterday we litter picked around Busembatia. But today was by far the best we went to international women's day celebrations at Women in Leadership Uganda.

Women in leadership was set up by Cianne who was a team leader last year. She funds it by herself to run adult literacy and buisiness classes for adults, as well as lots of empowerment classes for girl in school. It is so inspiring to see what one woman's vision can produce and change. The sad but is NGOs like restless development have way more funding but a re doing similar work. As she is not registered as an NGO she does not despite truly changing lives.

The thing about women's international day is that here gender equality is a whole new ball game. I know we joke about kitchens, sandwiches and not having opportunities at home, but here women do collect the water, wash, clean, cook etc etc. that is just part of accepted life. Maybe we joke about football being a boys game at home, but here people did not believe that a girl could run a football tournament or be a football fan. Some babies here have bands round their waist to make it smaller. But some of the issues are the same, domestic abuse, rape, marriage. The there are things that we haven't got right yet. Women here know what they want and an LC1 at an event today was a woman, and women know what they want and are determined to get it. Maybe we have that in the UK but I truly believe with funding and support charities like Women in leadership could change the world.

But it has also taught me that what they need is a partnership organisation for the sensitisation of boys, because today it was obvious it will take work in both sides to break down the cultural norms.

But as a farewell on international women's day, women everywhere deserve equality, in how they are treated, what they do and what they dream of. Maybe that is a pretty good inspiration to know when we start this second half.