NASSAU, Bahamas -- Welcome back to all the LCIS students, staff and parents who returned from Kampala, Uganda after their recent Community Service trip. This group took part in a unique learning opportunity. 

During their 12-day stay in Uganda they worked with at risk children at the Tent Maker’s Academy. Tentmaker’s Academy is a unique name for a unique school. It’s a facility of approximately 150 children in the slums of Kampala, Uganda, an impoverished Banda community. Many students are HIV/AIDS orphans with little food or clothing let alone enough money for school supplies. 

Thanks to the fundraising efforts of the entire LCIS community the group were able to deliver much needed school supplies, clothing and funds for food for a year for the entire school. 

Grade 9 student Samantha Wilson commented on the trip,

“Our main goals were to help teach the children, improve the facilities and to deliver all the supplies. I am so grateful for this chance to visit Uganda. Being able to interact with the students at Tentmakers Academy was amazing. What I learnt the most from this trip was how fortunate I am. I have always heard people say to be grateful for what you have. It really hit me most on our first day at the Academy. That day we brought all the tennis and soccer balls to play with the students, and they were all so happy that they had those balls to play with and us the LCIS students to play with them.  They were all smiling and genuinely happy. I am glad we were able to impact the lives of the students, the way they have impacted our lives." 

The connection with the indigent Ugandan community and LCIS has been four years in the making. The project not only enables the students to learn valuable personal lessons from this unique experience working with others less fortunate, but it provides the students with work toward the International Baccalaureate CAS (Creativity, Action and Service). 

The IB and MYP philosophies foster the growth of “global citizens,” facilitating students to develop a responsibility towards all members of the local, national and global communities, and a commitment to be of value to those communities. Students are also encouraged to develop an awareness of humanitarian and environmental issues, and to hold an ethical position on them from a local, national and international perspective. Students are expected to exhibit attitudes and values that respect human dignity which transcend barriers of race, religion, gender and politics. 

Please visit www.lcis.bs/ugandablog to see more stories ad reflections from this incredible trip. 

Photo 1: Group of LCIS students, staff and parents at the Tentmaker’s Academy, Kampala, Uganda.

Photo 2: Grade 9 student Jade Mitchell teaching the children of Tentmaker’s some new songs.

Photo 3: Grade 11 student Jade Powell with one of the youngest Academy children.