Project trip to Uganda 2013 - a unique experience

Group picture with one of the Straight Talk Clubs in Pakwach

Tender Talents Magnet School performed a show for us

In August 2013, I went on a project trip to Uganda, together with two other youngsters and our leader. We spent 14 days there to start a new project. This project focuses on improving the structure of an organisation called Straight Talk Foundation (STF). STF is an organisation that has around 800 clubs all over Uganda. The aim of STF is to teach young Ugandans about issues such as sex education. There are many myths in Uganda about different sexual diseases, and therefore many Ugandans do not know what the diseases actually consist of, which is quite a serious problem. 
This is what STF is trying to avoid by teaching the young Ugandans about the reality of, for instance, sexual diseases. However, the structure of STF is very insufficient, which has led to the collapsing of approximately 500 clubs during the last two years. Therefore, the project that we are now working on, is to improve the structure of STF to, among other things, avoid clubs from collapsing. 
During the first week in Uganda, we travelled to Pakwach, which is in Northern Uganda, and to Bushia, which is in Eastern Uganda. Here we visited different STF clubs, to get an idea of how they keep their clubs running and how effective they are. In all of the 11 clubs that we visited, we experienced this enormous happiness and gratefulness from the youngsters, because of what they have gained from being a part of a Straight Talk club.

Energizer during the bootcamp: "Åh boogie-boogie-boogie"

The second week was spend in Kampala at Namboole High School, where the bootcamp was held. Three representatives from eight different regions attended the bootcamp. The aim of this bootcamp was to teach the representatives how to guide other Straight Talk Clubs and create new clubs. By doing so, the structure of STF will be improved, and less clubs will collapse. 
The experience and knowledge I have gained from my trips to Uganda and from being a part of the danish organization "Slænget" is simply unique.