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About
Uganda:
East
Located in the heart of East Africa, Uganda offers a rich diversity of terrain and
cultures. It is home to spectacular rapids where the source of the Nile
 leaves Lake Victoria, fertile
farmland, dense jungles on 15,000 foot peaks, and more than 50 distinct ethnic groups brought
together by the national language of English. Despite its troubled past, Uganda is now politically
stable, and its friendly people enthusiastically welcome visitors. As a developing country,
challenges abound. Economic development, and provision of adequate health care and educational
opportunity head the lengthy list of glaring needs. Students learn about and participate in
programs implementing effective responses to HIV/AIDS and malaria, economic development
through microfinance/ microenterprise and fair trade, rural education, community empowerment,
and environmental protection. Through direct involvement, students understand the
complexities and challenges of community-based development.
Kampala:
The program begins in
Kampala, Uganda’s capital city, a bustling regional hub for trade, government, and NGOs.
After an in-depth orientation, the group meets with government officials, local experts, international
NGOs, and grassroots organizations, and begins to build a context for the particular
challenges facing communities in Uganda. There’s time to explore the city’s colorful markets,
to sample the local food, and to prepare for life in a smaller rural community.
The Village Experience:
Leaving Kampala, the group travels east to Mbale, a small
city at the foot of Mount Elgon. From a base in a village on the outskirts of Mbale, the group
explores the program’s themes, and students have an opportunity to pursue particular interests
through independent projects. Students travel by foot with community health workers focusing
on HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention and treatment, learn traditional crafts with a local
women’s micro-enterprise group, lend a hand
with a small scale building project at a school or
clinic, and visit fair trade coffee cooperatives,
traditional healers, and local environmental
projects. Living conditions are very simple and
meals are cooked by local women with the help
of the group.
Excursions:
After the first week in Mbale
the group travels to Jinja, located at the point
where Lake Victoria empties into the headwaters
of the Nile. Where they enjoy a rafting trip
through spectacular scenery of the upper Nile.
For the last three days of the program, the group
stays at a lodge adjacent to dramatic Sipi Falls,
an elevation of 7000 feet on Mt. Elgon. There
they enjoy recreational opportunities and, in
preparation for their presentation at Yale, discuss
and synthesize their perspectives on effective
responses to the complex challenges confronting
Ugandan communities.
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