“I was humbled by the villagers’ willingness to welcome us into their homes and into their lives, even if just for a moment. ” –Claire Meade, TX, USA- (URF volunteer during July, 2011)
An account of Claire’s time in rural Uganda with URF:
Though it was too short, my time with the Uganda Rural Fund in Southwestern Uganda was an incredibly enriching experience that will have a lasting impact on my entire life. The prospect of traveling by myself to a foreign continent was a bit intimidating at first, but John Mary was very helpful in preparing me for the journey, and the staff that met me when I arrived were nothing short of welcoming and kind-hearted. The housing arrangements were comfortable, and it was a joy to get to live alongside Ugandan people, as well as other international volunteers.
Each day was different when I was there. New needs were always presenting themselves in the villages that the URF serves, and thus there was a consistent flow of projects to tackle. As a volunteer you must be willing to seek out opportunities to serve but the staff was extremely helpful in doing so. It was hard work but also a lot of fun! We did many projects with the child-headed families- anything from gardening to fetching water. We also often traveled into the more rural areas to build “drying stands” which are used to help with the process of dishwashing. I was humbled by the villagers’ willingness to welcome us into their homes and into their lives, even if just for a moment. I was amazed by the way we used the resources of the Earth to build useful things. It may seem simple, but it truly did change my perspective of the world.
