FSD JINJA-UGANDA

I spent two months in Jinja, Uganda as part of FSD's program. During my time there I lived with a host family and worked at a small solar company focused on bringing electricity to off-grid communities. At my host organization I got to experience the sales and business processes a local organization used, as well as lead a small project between a local school and my host organization. I really enjoyed the experience and felt like it gave me a very authentic experience of the country. The site team was always available by phone and I was within a ~30 minute trip of their headquarters, so there was always support available. In addition, at the beginning of the program there's a training that walks you through how to get around and other unique practices that most Americans aren't used to. I'd highly recommend the program and Uganda itself is a great place to travel to as well!

I traveled to Uganda for the first time in 2018 and was able to have a fulfilling and productive experience with FSD. Before departure, I appreciated how the site team reached out to chat with me about any questions and concerns I had and made sure to answer them as fully as possible. While I was with my host organization in-country, I knew that while I was with them in a nearby community, the site team was available to contact at any point. Because of the leadership and structure at FSD Jinja, and its partnerships with various organizations in the community, I was able to work with a team of students to promote sustainability and live in the culture of the country. I would highly recommend this internship to anyone who is looking for a unique, sometimes uncomfortable, but highly rewarding experience.

I immensely enjoyed working in education with children and adolescents who were very clearly eager to learn. I was privileged enough to enjoy a beautiful bond with them and felt very much respected and trusted by the school and the surrounding community. I helped to promote good academic habits and develop education curricula. I think of my time at St Stephens School every single day with warm memories. I also developed personal skills by learning the process of writing a grant and collaborating with community members to pursue objectives THEY deemed to be necessary. Learning the process of how to properly engage the community and determine their needs based on their perspective is invaluable and a skill set i will surely be using time and again.

The experience of being able to come to this country and work with the people there was something that I never expected to have the impact on me that it did. I went there not knowing really what to expect and was blown away with how friendly everyone was and how welcome I felt. This experience was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I will carry the memories and experience that I received in everything that I do from this point forward. If someone is looking for an experience that will give you an opportunity that is not normally offered into experience something that you’ve not experienced before than this is the opportunity that you’re looking for. I have made lifelong friends and worked with people that I would not have had the opportunity to. I strongly recommend this program to anyone that wants to help make a difference and make new friends and family.

My experience with this program was over-the-top of any expectations I had before participating. Not only were FSD staff supportive, experienced, knowledgable, and fun, the partner organization I was paired with really helped me integrate into the Jinja community and supported my learning experience. I think of both groups of leaders as family now! During my time in the program, I interned with Community Concerns Uganda (CCUg), working alongside two of their current micro-finance groups. These two groups showed interest in taking on a food-related, income-generating activity. Community members, CCUg Staff, and myself then took on a training project to cultivate oyster mushrooms. This experience has been the most highlighted project on my resume as an MPA student, majoring in International Development, particularly executing the work plan and budgeting aspect in a real setting.

If I have anything to share with future participants/students in this program, I would say really allow yourself to learn from the community you are immersed in and remain open-minded. Get involved in any and every community and cultural event that is presented to you. And really embrace participatory learning and sustainable development (which FSD staff does an amazing job of teaching during orientation). Your program may not be long, but the projects you help implement have the ability to have lasting impacts if you really focus on stakeholders in the community and resources available!