By Pamela Nabwire
This advent semester, Uganda Christian University received 14 Uganda Studies Program students 13 Americans and 1 Canadian. The university is linked with a number of other Christian universities abroad where students are brought to study and have their internships according to the courses they are pursuing. Within the last four months, the students have managed to endure change, learning a variety of things from Uganda. Together with the Honors College Students from UCU, they have engaged in different activities like retreats, community worship, leadership workshops, morning glory and so many more.
USP students together with Honors students lead praise and worship during community worship
The students have enjoyed learning new things about the country like studying our subjects Luganda, Ethics and Health and wholeness where they got to learn and experience a lot about Uganda. For insistence, the 3 students who were doing Luganda left with the skill of speaking a little bit of Luganda language.
Two to three days a week, the USP students took part in internship programs according to the courses they were pursuing like public health, social work, and speech therapy, among others. As early as 7:20 am the students were driven to their internship places and back to the school premises, at the latest 6:00 pm.
The program involved the students in co-curriculum activities to keep them engaged at all times. They engaged with other students of the University other than honours scholars, sharing meals, and experiences with each other.
One of the USP students, Kayli Radke found the food in Uganda exciting. “The food grew on me. In the beginning, it was unfamiliar and different. I didn’t like matooke, however as time went on, I couldn’t get enough of it. The fruits were amazing, so fresh and juicy, way better than I’ve ever had in America.” She expresses her joy in having eaten and heard of jackfruit for the first time. Adjusting to the food in the first month of the semester was difficult for the USP students since they have different foods back home usually cooked differently. Shelby Buis said she liked the meals outside of the dining, especially the rolexes that were great.
One of the challenges they faced was being cheated on though it was exciting at the same time since it was a new experience. In times one of their shoes got torn or had any kind of issue, they were able to visit the cobbler to have it mended unlike back home where they would just buy a new pair. A cobbler in Uganda could take this chance, overly charging the white that lacks knowledge of the actual price of the job.
The USP students have been punctual to all events and engagements which honours students and their close friends have picked up as a good practice. The USP students and honours students were combined to lead community worship which they both honoured enjoying having to learn new songs during practice.
Having been assigned homestay families in Mukono, the students have embraced the culture in the country like the food, dressing, and local language which has made them comfortable.
After the four months of the semester at UCU, the USP students had to fly back home to America where they all designate from. They closed the semester with a farewell dinner where they were given certificates recognizing them as UCU alumni.
Uganda Christian University’s USP students 2022, advent semester