A personal volunteer story from Duncan Phillips:
(by Duncan Phillips)
My wife and I have been financially involved with Kids of Africa for the past few years but have never had the chance to visit.
In September 2008, while on a business trip, my wife found in conversation with Burkhard that there was a large amount of construction work taking place, and there was a need for a foreman to help supervise the approx. 200 casual laborers that had been brought in by the landscaping firm. I was lucky enough to be in a position to commit to coming to Uganda for two and a half months.
What followed has been the most fun and rewarding time of my life, the first month was almost purely involved with the adults that were working on the project and I made lots of friends from the communities around the KOA compound, we worked very hard together and achieved an enormous amount in a short time to improve the environment for the children. At times I was a little frustrated not to be able to spend more time playing with the 70 happy, settled, children that were running all over the place but that pleasure was to come in the second half of my stay. However on the days when I was tired from a twelve hour day in the hot sun, after losing my voice from shouting instructions all day one of these little people would always seem to find me just when I needed it most and give me a hug. That simple show of affection was all the motivation I needed, it always felt like a personal thanks, and always served as a reminder as to why we were doing what we were doing.
My experience of Uganda is still very limited but my experience of the Ugandan spirit and sense of humour is much greater, it makes a European very humble to work with these great people, hard physical labour is undertaken hour after hour, day after day for relatively small reward and although we had a few small problems along the way my overall memories of this time will always be great affection and pride for the men and women that worked so hard and for the great amount we achieved together.
As I write this we are preparing for a party that is being thrown for all 200 of those workers and I am looking forward to welcoming back into the compound many of the friends I made during that time and have not seen for almost three weeks. The compound looks incredible and as every day passes the plants and grass we planted around all of the construction areas are becoming more established, the children are having classes in the rotundas we built, the play areas are once more all in use and a whole gang are riding their bikes up and down the road we put down.
Life here for me has slowed down in the second half of my stay, I get to join in at playtime, visit kindergarten classes in the mornings and help to get little people to and from lunch, the hugs still come but luckily for me more often. I am now able to use another skill to help here, I take about two hundred photographs every day, it's the only way I think it is possible to show the overwhelming happiness and love that is Kids of Africa.
If you can contribute you must, either financially or physically, please consider making some time to come here and join in, you can help to make a difference and believe me it will make a difference to you.
Thank you Kids of Africa for the life changing experience you gave me.
Duncan Phillips
