Summer 2013 A Warm Welcome in Kalungu for the Newcastle HUG Group

On 14^th July fourteen students from Sacred Heart High School in Newcastle (UK) set off for their long awaited visit to Saint Charles Lwanga GTC, Kalungu. The girls had been preparing for over 12 months, raising money, discovering about life in Uganda, hearing from Sister Carmel about Kalungu ~and even trying to master some basic Luganda. There was great excitement, but at the same time apprehension and nervousness: would they get on well with each other and with the Kalungu students and staff, would they miss home, would they get ill, eat the new kinds of food… cope with the insects??

Then suddenly they were there: the long flight over, the long dusty roads crossed and the gates of St Charles opened: to be followed with the warmest welcome from the community and the school.
The girls were made to feel so much at home. The first day Sister Liz suggested the girls spend the day with the prefects, shadowing them for a normal school day… with the exception of not having to get up at 4.a.m., a fantastic way for the students to get to know each other. Good conversations took place from the beginning, a preparation for more informal meetings and chats. The nerves and apprehensions disappeared! They felt at home.

The next day there was an invitation to help Sister Mary and the librarians catalogue and sort all the books. A mammoth task, there were over 9,900 books in all!This was an eye opener for the Newcastle students as they realised the value of educational resources that for them are generally taken for granted.

There were a couple of painting projects too: the pool and sitting areas as well as the stage. Hopefully these helped brighten up the surroundings for everyone.The teachers from Newcastle worked with some staff on ICT skills and made plans with Sister Liz for further collaboration. More diversions happened,  when groups from Ireland, based at Kyamusansala, and Austria, based in Mbikko visited Kalungu. After a “Splendid Lunch”, the four nationalities took part in a mini “Sacred Heart Olympics”!The first challenge was a netball tournament, a challenge especially for the Austrians who had never played the game before.

  

All groups from Austria, Newcastle and Ireland.

The visit to Uganda finished with a couple of days in Mbikko where again all were welcomed warmly both by the community and everyone at St Bernadette’s. The Newcastle girls saw the sizes of the classes and gasped, all the more so when they saw the level of attainment of the older pupils. A real moment of truth came when talking to the nursery teacher who had recently dismissed her class of 120 3-4 year olds. Try to imagine the beginning of the school year!

The atmosphere experienced so briefly at St Bernadette’s and Mbikko reinforced the strong impressions noted at St Charles. So much was done (including all the extras for us the visitors) and there is much that was not seen. We also saw how it was done and how this was led by so many: the dedication to study, the ability to live without all the “add ons”, a desire to want to make a difference, the humour of  the girls at their efforts at hand-washing clothes, the transcendent singing at mass, the dancing, the drums, the poverty in the surrounding areas, the similarities in life as well as the contrasts, the pulling together, the skill and passion in the debate, the head teacher playing netball so well, the way appreciation is shown! These are but a few examples.

What will be the lasting memories and lessons for our young people?

RSCJ:  their calm and quiet manner, their wisdom and humour, generous spirit, their dedication and prayerfulness,  graciousness and gentleness, and their attentiveness to each person.  For our girls who rarely meet RSCJ or other religious, the communities and Carmel have left a deep and lasting impression.

Janet Erskine Stuart RSCJ, an English country woman whose anniversary will be next year, said,

“Your life is a sacred journey.
It is about change, growth, discovery,
movement and transformation.
It is continuously expanding your vision of what is possible,
stretching your soul,teaching you to see clearly and deeply and 
helping you to listen to your intuition."

                                                This was shared with the group on their last night in Africa:

The  Newcastle students, their staff  have been so enriched, challenged and inspired by all they experienced in Uganda and promise to hold all the students’ sacred journeys in their hearts and prayers as they return to their families.Thank you so very much.