After a year of preparation, students who completed their final year of high school took part in rebuilding classrooms and experienced a meaningful and transformative volunteer trip at Saint Mary’s School.
A group of 19 former students —11 from Xaloc and 8 from Bell-lloc— travelled to Uganda accompanied by 4 teachers to take part in a volunteer project at Saint Mary’s School, located in the village of Ntunda. The school hosts nearly 500 primary students, and the initiative was coordinated by Kelim Foundation, a Ugandan organization specialized in work and volunteer camps.
The trip was not without setbacks: after Qatar closed its airspace, the group had to spend the night in Doha and arrived in Uganda a day later than expected. Even so, once in Ntunda, they fully joined the planned activities.
Each morning, the volunteers worked on reconstructing a classroom building at the school. In the afternoons, they played sports with local students and, in small groups, visited families in serious need —many with elderly or ill members. During these visits, they delivered clothes, shoes, rice, sugar, soap, and other basic goods, as well as shared moments of conversation and companionship.
The school supplies, clothes, and shoes collected during the school year were especially well received by the community. On behalf of the team, we would like to sincerely thank all the families in our school community who made this solidarity initiative possible.
The welcome from Saint Mary’s School was full of joy and warmth. On the last day, the school organized a farewell party with traditional dances and a tree planting ceremony to commemorate the young volunteers’ visit.
Before heading back, the group also had the chance to visit Uganda’s capital, Kampala, and the Murchison Falls National Park. And as they said in Ntunda: Mwebale nyo! (“thank you very much” in Luganda). They are already expected back next year!