I could gush endlessly about how amazing the Leeds RAG Projects are, especially The Uganda Project. I am trying very hard not to be biased, but my month over there this summer was the most incredible of my life.
The truth is; when I signed up last November to head to Uganda this June/July I was initially anxious. Having £600 to raise is daunting; there is no getting away from it. Other than my one friend I knew no one, yet here lay the magic. After landing in Uganda you immediately make friends you will keep for a lifetime, you share experiences with people you barely knew before and you try things you might be sceptical of doing with your best friends back home.
Stranded, to some extent in a village in the midst of northern Uganda, hours from the nearest town; Masindi, as a group of 24 we bonded over the most trivial things. Having Leeds as a common thread increases the chances you have of keeping in touch; unlike many other volunteer projects organised outside of uni. Yet the friends I made were not the only unforgettable thing about my experience in Uganda.
Bugoigo; remote and approximately 12 hours’ drive north of Entebbe (a main town in central Uganda,) the journey enables you to see a vast expanse of the country; areas otherwise inaccessible to the average traveller. Arriving in Bugoigo, for some of the children we were the first white people or “Muzungu” they had ever seen. You instantly feel like Bugoigo is a place that really needs you; a place you can make a massive difference. I won’t lie to you, the work was often hard. Building or renovating a school from the ground up will never be easy, but working with local builders enabled us to learn so much about Uganda and its culture (who knew that there were over 50 tribal languages?) and enabled us to help improve the futures of over 900 kids who attended Bugoigo Primary School.
Add into the equation the weekends involving organised excursions; from white water rafting to safari and you can see that the projects encourage a work hard, play hard attitude. I won’t deny it; a classroom with little more than a box mosquito net and a thin foam mat will never be my ideal sleeping environment, but the unforgettable experience of a month completely immersed in rural Uganda made it all worthwhile. Not only have I gained cultural knowledge but also life-long friends and a ridiculous amount to add to my CV; from team work to organisational skills. My friends loved it so much they will be leading this year’s project (shameless plug.)
But the Uganda option is not the only amazing project offered. This year’s RAG Thailand project, which works with disabled children caring for them and teaching English in two Thai communities, was voted the best. Meanwhile, the Peru project’s aims are to teach English and build schools for local communities. Relatively new to the RAG scheme; this project is an excellent option if you want to be part of an upcoming development scheme. The list is pretty exhaustive.
Even if you missed the RAG intro party, it isn’t too late to express an interest. Introduction meetings will be held in the next few weeks so head along to find out a bit more about the opportunity of a lifetime. It really was the best experience of my life!
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Bryony Smithers