Occasionally Ugandan mothers or grandmothers of students in CARITAS' child sponsorship programs are seen wearing the traditional dress of Uganda, called the gomesi.

“I will give you shepherds after my own heart.” (Jer 3:15) In these words from the prophet Jeremiah, God promises His people that He will never leave them without shepherds to gather them together and guide them. The Church, the people of God, constantly experiences the reality of this prophetic message and continues joyfully to thank God for it. In Uganda today, the number of young men desiring to serve God as priests has risen. Every year over 300 young men apply to be admitted to the Major Seminary, but only 150 young men are received for formation.

Once every term, Visiting Day is held at Stella Maris Primary and Secondary School in Nkokonjeru, Uganda. The day starts in the morning and continues until the early evening. The girls wear their special striped uniform that they usually wear only on Sundays. However, visiting day is a special day and an exception is made.

As I collect my computer pupils from their classroom, a trickle of bright blue Stella Maris Primary uniforms quickly becomes a flood. We walk up across the campus to the main building where the computer room is. I stop outside the closed door of the room and wait for the 40 of them to gather. The girls are buzzing. Maybe because they’re having me as their teacher, or maybe they’re just excited to work with computers. I go through the plan for the lesson, to learn where the letters of the keyboard are and to type their names.

Toothpaste, check! Medicines, check! Fun games, check! This is how my preparation for my mission trip to Haiti has been. I am an early packer, as I like to be prepared. Because of this, I have been running around making sure I have enough items to last me for five months working for CARITAS' Haiti child sponsorship programs.

On Friday, July 1st, we celebrated the opening of the new home for the elderly at Providence Home, a residence for disabled adults and children run by CARITAS ministry partners in East Africa, the Little Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi. It was such a happy day and an exciting event to be a part of. For me, it was a lot of fun being at an event in a foreign country where a lot of people actually knew me. Providence Home is where I spend most of my time working during my internship with CARITAS child sponsorship programs, so I was very proud seeing the final product of all of the hard work that has gone into the event and the Elderly House.

I am slowly learning Lugandan as I make my way through my internship with CARITAS' child sponsorship programs here in Nkokonjeru. My Primary 3 students from St. Alphonsus Demonstration School love to teach me new words in their language at the end of each of my lessons.

I saw a different side of my students today. I tutor a group of 11 third graders from St. Alphonus Demonstration School in Nkokonjeru, Uganda three times a week. We were moved to a different classroom since the library, our usual spot, was taken up by a meeting. In this particular classroom there were straw tie skirts and several drums standing in the corner. My students put on the skirts, handed me a skirt, and grabbed the drums. Some of the boys began drumming while the rest of the class danced and sang. One boy, Ivan, led the class in singing a song in Lugandan while he danced.

Last summer over sixty water filters were donated by sponsors and donors for distribution among families of sponsored children and schools participating in CARITAS child sponsorship programs. One year later, I am working with Seminarian Frank, to check in with the families and see how the filters are working.

Before I entered St. Francis Hospital in Nkokonjeru to volunteer and shadow the health practitioners there, I did not know what to expect. My first day of visiting the hospital I was brought to the administration office where I explained that I had volunteered in the emergency department at a hospital in the US and had lots of experience cleaning rooms. From this, funnily enough, they thought I wanted to clean their rooms instead of work alongside doctors and nurses. Eventually, I was placed in their outpatient department.