YTB Uganda Trip
Y-T-Be-The-Blog - Uganda Trip
90 Adventure to start 2023
Hi, I’m Gin, director of Green Team Academy, and board member of Youth TimeBanking. I’m thrilled to share a little bit about the experience I had during a recent trip to Uganda where I got to spend time with different environmental groups who had taken part in Green Team Academy’s International Climate Action Challenge, as well as immerse myself in YTB Global’s project in Mukono, Uganda.
So let’s start with the YTB project.
I stayed with Robert Kibaya, who runs YTB Uganda, and his family for just about a month in total. What a great time that was!
Robert brought me to Mother Erinah’s School where I was able to meet some of the most amazing kids! It turns out that their school took a hit during a storm some time back, so the kids were doing their schooling in some pretty unsettling conditions.
With the support of YTB Global, I was able to be a part of building a new school using Interlocking Stabilized Soil Blocks (ISSB). When compared to regular fired brick the bricks produced by the ISSB are more durable, don’t need as much water, emit less C02, have a higher insulation rating, and have even more benefits than that. I definitely enjoyed how sustainable the process and product were!
Being a part of building the kids’ new school was amazing, but the most incredible part was how engaged and eager to help the kids were. This is where I really got to see the timebanking aspect in action. The kids were excited to take part in the building of their new school because they saw that it was being built for them, and that this was a means to be more comfortable while learning. Having the students take part in building the school will not only help them to feel accomplished and have more respect for the building, but it also helps them to be appreciated by the teachers for the work that they’re putting in.
Mother Erinah’s school also started crocheting while I was out there as well, so I was able to join them, as well as the crochet project at Bright Parents School.I tried to jump in and teach a little, but ultimately ended up leaving that to the YTB experts Florence and Winnie!
Getting to hang out with the kids was one of my favorite parts of joining the YTB project. I was able to learn so much about their interests and favorite subjects.
But it was even cooler to be able to connect the kids in Uganda with some youth in the United States. There are such huge cultural differences between the two places, so listening to the conversation and experiencing kids from different sides of the world having their world broadened, was more fulfilling than I can describe.
One of the favorite questions for the kids to ask was ‘what is your favorite food?’. Mine happens to be pizza, so when I found that most of the students at Mother Erinah’s haven’t even seen a pizza, we made sure that was going to change. So, we did what we had to do, and Florence and I stayed up until 7 am making pizzas!
But watching the kids enjoy it made it all worth it!
The time I spent with YTB Uganda at Mother Erinah’s school holds such a deep place in my heart. I feel so honored to have had the opportunity to take part in a project that empowers the youth, and helps them to be seen as an asset the way that YTB Global has accomplished!
YTB is Community
Youth TimeBanking is "being the change" through youth-adult partnerships.
Help us help youth to help their communities. YTB is not a service. YTB brings opportunities and ideas to communities to try new ways of everyone being involved. YTB is Giving and Receiving for a Better World. Your donations are used to fund supplies and equipment for YTB projects and activities. Things like ISSB machines, crochet hooks and yarn, YTB T-Shirts, school supplies, and safety equipment. Donate today at Every.org/YTBGlobal
