Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Student volunteer reports from working with OCAP (childrens home) Uganda. 2013


OCAP (Childrens Home, Kampala, Uganda) seeks volunteer(s) 

My name is Lisa and I am now 20 years old. I am from South-West Germany, from a small village called Wuertingen.

My stay in Uganda, at OCAP, has been divided into two parts.
I arrived in Kampala, it was on September, 3rd in 2012. I stayed there for three months, living in a host family. Directly after visiting my exchange partner in South Africa, I came back in the beginning of February to stay for another three months, till April 19th. Both of my stays have been awesome!!
Immediately after I have met everyone there at OCAP, I started to feel at home as it is a place where you experience a lot of care and love.
Papa and Mama really do all their best for the kids. In return they get back love, help and respect from the children. OCAP is more than a home to the children as they are one big family, they respect each other and they help wherever someone needs help. The children understand that they should not take life there for granted. Every day is a struggle.

Initially, I needed some time to get to know all the kids. This is not merely about learning their names, it is also about understanding their moods, habits and behaviors. Once, I have learnt this, I was able to work together with them quite well. Henceforward, I knew how to reach everyone individually.
The best thing I have got to know is that it does not need a lot to make them smile or even laugh. Due to this, I knew I am at the right place and work became somehow easier to carry on because life there is not simple.

Furthermore I helped Papa William wherever there was needed help for instance going to the market, attending conferences, little office work, helping in the workshop to make Kadogos and talking to people. Concerning to the people, I told them about the project, I explained them how everything is working and lastly, I kindly wanted them to support the project by either donating or buying some toys or Kadogos.

Life at the project is always an up and down and there are good times as well as bad times. This can also be applied to the people you are working together with. I recommend the next volunteer not to wait when there is a problem or when something is bothering you. Have the courage to talk to Papa William or Henry about it.

I really enjoyed the work with the children as they were able to give you back a lot – not material items but the love of life, love and joy and most important: TRUST!
Honestly, all of them crept into my heart – they can really cause a great change in you! Be open for that change!!

Referring to the kids, I played with them e.g. soccer, Frisbee, Indiaca, we shared games of all kind and I taught them some parlor games. In addition, I brought along some movies so that we had exciting Friday evenings, for example watching Alvin & the Chimp Monks 1,2&3, Ratatouille, … . I borrowed Papa’s equipment as I didn’t come along with a Laptop. It has sometimes happened that I had to look for an alternative program owing to the fact that power went off. Anyway, it was a great experience.

All of the kids are pretty interested in going to school thus, it was my pleasure to help them with their homework whenever there was help requested or helped them to revise for their approaching exams. I shaded with the younger ones which they enjoyed a lot, we learnt about number and shapes and finally, I talked to them in English in order to make them improve their knowledge of the English language. Nevertheless, I have also found a way to divide my attention not only to the younger ones but also to the elder ones. We were talking about problems, tried to find solutions, doing homework and we have just had fun together.
As OCAP is located in a place where there are many neighbor children around, I also tried to include them in the activities – if they wanted to.

By the way, I cooked German food for them and I helped them in the kitchen with cooking, too. Cooking for so many people can be quite tiresome but it is worth an experience.
Being a Christian, I came along to church with them where I experienced services that differed so much from the ones I have known so far from Germany.
The kids were very curious about the culture I grew up in and it was nice to share it with them as we could learn more about each other. They also explained several things of their culture and they were open and friendly whenever I had a question.

In conclusion, I really had a marvelous time at OCAP that I will never forget. I am grateful for everything that has happened and that I experienced! To put it in a nutshell, everyone is so nice and lovely. It is in Papa’s, Mama’s and Henry’s interest to get an own home for OCAP children. If one knows the environment and the surroundings they are living in, it is quite understandable to give the children a home where they are safe and where they can grow up to self-confident personalities.
Thank you so much Papa William, Henry and Matron RoseMary! Carry on with your work for the kids need you!
May the next volunteer also have a wonderful time at OCAP, my her wishes come true and last but not least, may her work prosper!
Believe in yourself – wish you all the best for your time at OCAP!

‘Every small drop can cause a change – thus believe in you and your ideas as they can make a big difference!’

Best regards
Mbabazi Lisa