Week 3!

We have enter d our last week of camp. This week we are at a small private school in Kampala.

We started our camp the same way we have in weeks past; songs, introductions, etc. At the start of the day we had around 80 kids, all of which were students of that school. However, as the day goes on, word spreads like wild fire about the Mzungus singing, playing, and making crafts. By noon, our number had nearly doubled. This can be tricky because we cannot always sustain such numbers. Classrooms are small, supplies are limited, and the kids can often out manoeuvre the adults making it difficult to maintain order. We can usually find a way to manage even though it is incredibly chaotic.

Our team is pushing hard. 3 weeks of constant interaction with hundreds of high energy children takes it's toll. We try our best to make sure each kid gets as much out of camp as possible; this is a tough task when you are tired, and emotionally strained.

I often stop and remind myself why I am here. Every one of these kids have hidden talents that are begging to be exposed. The sad, but realistic part is that almost all of these children do not have the resources to enable them. What I have realised is that they love us because we offer them hope; they see in us what they can also be, and more. I watch kids play football, for example, any one of these kids would dance circles around a Canadian adult. Almost all the children can sing, play drums, and dance. In many ways they are far more talented than Western raised kids.

I taught a class yesterday about aero dynamics. By that I mean I showed kids how to make paper airplanes. 6 year olds sometimes have trouble with learning the meanings of thrust, lift, weight, and draft. Nevertheless, they have been having a ball.

Craft supplies have been a cause of concern, but appear as if they will last with some to spare. Every night we make a huge mess in our guest house preparing for the next day. I usually make it worse by dumping a bag of foam fish over Lisa's head. We are all looking forward to the day we get to give away all the excess supplies. In fact, we plan on comming home with 4 less suitcases than we arrived with.

More to come.

Greg
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