Spirit Child Yoga and ECE

Early Learning in Uganda and Rwanda Day One and Two

Robyn, Nancy, Terry, Jo, Josephine

Play-based early learning and care is in the infancy stages in Uganda and Rwanda. The old British colonial model of three children to a desk, sitting and memorizing facts and figures from a chalk board is beginning to evolve. I was lucky enough to be invited by the Directors of Happy Hearts International School in Kampala, Generose Muhaya and Josephine Umuhoza Muhaya to help them with their dream for a school where children learn with happy hearts. The experience taught me so much in so many ways. There were many facets of the trip for me; the people and culture of East Africa, the early learning and care system and facilitating change, the day-to-day reality of life in a developing country,the glorious tea and coffee, the good work of Teen Challenge in Kampala, and the beauty, scars, and resilience of Rwanda.

Happy Hearts International School Ntinda, Uganda

Josephine is a new friend and a dear friend and I was excited to accompany her from Canada to Uganda to see her mother and family, and the nascent Happy Hearts, meet Generose and the staff.

From there the team grew to include my colleagues Nancy Mosey, the Executive Director of a thriving not-for-profit child care organization based in York Region, Dr. Jo Blay with a strong background in research and education, as well as a dear friend and colleague, Robyn Matthew. Robyn brought her art facilitation combined with a social service skills and background working with in the area of grief. We were accompanied also by Bill Ord from the U.K. who has much experience working with youth and in engineering.

We arrived into the small Entebbe airport late at night. The warm equatorial air was a joy after leaving a severe Canadian winter. We were put up at a hotel not far from the airport, due to the kindness of friends of Josephine. I went to bed with a mosquito net around my bed, having a little Meryl Streep moment. (Out of Africa).

I woke up and looked out my window and say greens and reds of Uganda – and monkeys who lived in the hotel grounds! Jackfruit, mangoes, and avocadoes hung from the trees. All the staff were friendly.

We relaxed until it was time to go to lunch and the Entebbe Zoo – which is more of a place for animals which have been rescued from poachers or other bad situations. For lunch I had my first Ugandan beer – it is a major industry there. Yum. And fish, cassava, a peanut dish, beans and rice, and chicken.

Then it was off to the zoo, which is on the shore of Lake Victoria. We could hear the waves and smell the water.