UGANDAN VISIT 2011

Following the inaugural visit of six Trinity students and three staff to Uganda in the summer of 2010 a team of five students and two staff from Ssaku Senior Secondary School in Wobulenzi  has just spent a week in Carlisle learning about English culture and education and experiencing it at first hand.  The visitors stayed with the families of Trinity School pupils and staff and during their stay were able to join in the life of Trinity School, spending time in classes, attending Junior Prize Giving at St Cuthberts, and attending a performance of P’tang Yang Kipperbang by the Trinity Theatre Company.  On the Tuesday they spent an afternoon watching and participating in Trinity Sports Day.  As well as the Ugandan students learning about our way of life a group of Trinity students were taught African dancing and were able to try on the African costumes and Club Africa were presented with Ugandan grass skirts.  The Ugandan team also had the opportunity to visit Belle Vue Primary School, Stanwix Primary School and Kingmoor Junior School to see something of the education system for younger children in this country.

On their arrival in Carlisle the students and staff were welcomed at a Reception given by Trinity School where they were treated to a guitar solo by Gareth Phillips and a piano performance by Yasemin Zaremba and were presented with a cake welcoming them in their local language, Luganda.  They met with some of the students who visited Uganda last year as well as some of those planning to go there in 2012.  They were later received by the Mayor, Barry Earp and his wife when they were shown the Mayoral regalia and learned about local government.

When they were not spending time in school the group was also able to see something of the region, visiting Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum on Hadrian’s Wall and Dove Cottage in the Lake District.  They were treated to local fare at a typical Lakeland restaurant and a ride on the Derwentwater steamer and finished the day with fish and chips in Keswick.  The rain in no way dampened their enthusiasm and the day was greatly enjoyed by both the visitors and their hosts.  Visits to Tullie House, the cathedral and the castle were also included in the programme.  During the week the host families provided their guests with as many new experiences as possible and they were introduced to bowling, which proved a great success.

The week ended with a tree planting ceremony to mark this first visit from Ssaku to the UK.  Each member of the group was invited to plant a lavender bush in the new orchard, a weeping cherry was planted to commemorate the visit of Ssaku and an acer was planted to mark the association of our school with Najjera Progressive Primary School in Kampala who could not be represented on this occasion.

For most of the Ugandan team this was the first time they had been out of Uganda or indeed on an aeroplane so it was very much a positive and life changing experience for them.  However, they were not the only ones to benefit from the Exchange.  There were plenty of opportunities for Trinity pupils to talk informally with the visitors and learn about life in Uganda and many friendships were established which will continue through email.  This visit has helped to cement the relationship between the two schools and it is hoped that it will continue for many years.  A group of about 15 students and staff is planning to visit Uganda in July 2012