Reports from the
group are that they have been having an amazing whirlwind of a trip.
From trying new foods, to adjusting to the newness of the place, to dealing
with jet lag, the group is a bit worn out, but the Notre Dame students and
PLACT staff love what they are doing in East Africa.
The group has already had
the pleasure of meeting with Penninah “Penny” Kabenge, an official in the
Ugandan Olympic Committee, to discuss the role of women in sports in the
developing world. Penny was the recipient of the International Olympics
Committee’s prestigious Women & Sport Award for
Africa earlier this year. In addition to providing insight into the role that women have to play
in human development, she also provided advice on how best to teach the PLACT
model in a Ugandan setting.
Students
were also treated to a traditional Ugandan dance performance, and had the
opportunity to volunteer at an orphanage for infants, bathing and playing with
some of Uganda’s most vulnerable citizens.
And
that was the first day!
Since
then, the group has been hard at work, teaching for two day’s at St. Peter’s
Primary school in the Nsambya neighborhood of Kampala. The students and PLACT
staffers have taught our adapted curriculum, using the Ugandan PLACT CHAMPION
HANDBOOK, and have held sports competitions at the school. PLACT staffers are
also surveying students and staff to gauge the reception of the material.
Really
exciting stuff, and we look forward to letting you know more about what’s
happening in Uganda!
