I'm a Believer

Welp, as predicted, this week has been an eventful one. It was our last full week at Rwentutu with the kiddos, the Canadians arrived and implemented an incredible community-based football tournament, and we were able to make another couple of home visits.

Let’s begin, though, in the classroom. After finding some serious success in the conclusion of our time telling unit, I was excited to moved into a new topic of study—measuring.

To begin our unit, I decided to utilize one of P2's favorite lesson structures called 'rotation stations'. First, I set up the class to contain eight different stations, each with a task for students to complete. Once groups are situated at their initial location, we begin. Students must be mindful of time and work efficiently because after 6 minutes, I hit play on my preselected song (in this instance, "I'm a Believer") and groups must move on to the next station. 

Measuring the length of the classroom in steps for one station.

Station 4: Measure a teacher's arm using handspan.

The engagement in this lesson was energizing.

In a later lesson, I grouped P2 into teams of three and sent them on a measuring spree. Their job was to brainstorm a list of items shorter than 1 meter and longer than 1 meter and then test their inferences by making the measurements.

Biira Jane shows us how it's done.

After collecting their data, groups congregated back in the classroom to compare notes and make one larger class chart on the board. Their interest was definitely sparked and their success set a confident tone for the lessons to follow.

In English, we finally completed our 2014 calendars! 

They were certainly proud of their hard work.

My aim with this project was to give students a tangible goal—complete all 12 months of a calendar—and to develop a useable finished product. Having work to bring home seemed like an unfamiliar but thrilling event for these kids, making the unit all the more fulfilling in my eyes.

Speaking of home, Angela and I were invited for lunch at the home of two of our students this week—Keneth (a P2 student in my class) and Beneth (a P6 student with Angela). They don't live far from the school, so on Thursday we decided to make the trip.

Their beautiful family (plus Samson) outside their home.

We had no idea that in traveling to their home, we'd also be able to see the place where Samson was raised. It turns out that Keneth and Beneth's father is a good friend of Samson's 'tata,' and that their homes are separated by only a couple of kilometers. 

So, after lunch, and a few more snaps...

Keneth spying from his bedroom window.

we were on our way to Sam Bam's home. Angela and I were both interested to hear how infrequently Samson is able to see his father, even though his work with us brings him so close to home every day.

Their reunion was heartwarming.

To no one's surprise at this point, our visit also yielded us a chicken, who we quickly named Benson (Samson's alias). 

**Compound update: Feathers have been flying as Benson and Frank seem to be mortal enemies, each determined to obtain full rule of the land. Frank seems to have the immediate advantage, but we'll have to wait and see how this all plays out. (In my opinion, they're both just a little cocky...)

Jokes aside, it's moments like these, outside of our everyday routine, that really hit home and deliver a sense of purpose to our trip; it's these personal connections that will no doubt bring each of us back here someday; and, it's these stories of humility and graciousness in the face of poverty that we will use to challenge the complacency of the American ideal in our everyday lives.

To close out the week, Rwentutu held its first annual football tournament, sponsored by the African Canadian Soccer & Cultural Association and organized by freekicks.org. Freekicks is a non-profit organization founded by our Canadian friend, Adam Aziz, aiming to bring the game of soccer to communities all over the world. 

The man. The myth. The legend.

Through independent fundraising and passionate determination, Adam's team was able to donate brand new jerseys, cleats, balls, and cones to Rwentutu Christian School's football team. They have also spent a good amount of time this week coaching each of the participating teams and have been working with a group of welders in Kasese to create brand new goals for the field. To reach out and impact the community on another level, freekicks also organized free HIV screening for anyone in attendance at Friday's tournament. The unabashed participation was remarkable, from both parents and students. 

As their time in Uganda continues, they do plan to excavate the field and renovate the uneven obstacle course that our students have been playing on. Their work is inspiring, not only to me, but to the communities surrounding our school. While I wish that I could stay the duration of their project, I am already looking forward to tracking their progress from back in the states.

As the tournament began, four local teams took the day off from school and traveled to Rwentutu to compete in a five-team tournament for the ACSCA cup.

That's some serious hardware.

The competition was stiff and the crowd enthralled. 

Seriously, look at that turnout!

Rwentutu in red, ready for action.

Justus and Greg coaching from the sidelines.

Balloon celebration after a Rwentutu goal. 

Rwentutu won its first match in dramatic fashion and ended up advancing all the way to the championship game. Unfortunately, their luck ran out in the final game, where they were outscored two nil.

Regardless of the outcome, the day was an undeniable success. 

As our time here comes to an end, events like this bring me hope and encouragement that once we're gone, Rwentutu will continue to grow and our students will continue to be blessed with good fortune. Every day brings new hardships, but the positivity of these kids sure does lighten the load.

Until next time!