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Uganda draws faculty, students |
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Thursday, 08 March 2007 |
 Danica Russell - Invisible Children
News Reporter
Appalachian students and faculty have more than one trip planned to Uganda in summer 2007, and each group has their own expectations and goals for their experience.
Psychology student plans Ugandan trip
Kelsey D. Smith, a junior psychology major, started organizing her trip to Northern Uganda after watching the film “Invisible Children” documenting the Ugandan War, and the reported exploitations of the nation’s children.
“Rebel armies would kidnap these children as young as 5 years old and force them to become soldiers in the army,” Smith said.
Smith took the initiative to plan this trip unaffiliated with the
university since last summer. She now has a group of five people signed
up to go.
“I found people interested to go just by talking to friends. I was amazed at the response I received,” she said.
 Active Image | Danica Russell | © Invisible Children
The ongoing civil war in Uganda has displaced many children from their homes.
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While each participant is paying their own way to Uganda, they have
received donations and support from friends, family and church members.
“People have been very supportive and generous,” Smith said.
Smith’s group will be working mostly in a village called Gulu in Northern Uganda and in Kampala, Uganda’s capital.
“We are working with an organization called ReNUH [Restoring Northern Uganda’s Hospitals] in Gulu,” Smith said.
In Kampala, the group will work with an organization called Show Mercy.
“We will be working and helping out in orphanages the organization have built,” Smith said.
They also want to help build safer schools, which is where many Ugandan children are kidnapped.
“We hope to help out where we can and gain cultural understanding,” Smith said.
After college, Smith hopes to possibly join the Peace Corps, or use her
psychology degree to provide support to children around the world who
have been affected, like those in Uganda, from war.
Smith’s group leaves May 18 and returns June 25.
For more information visit Smith’s group’s Web site, www.aidingafrica.org.
Appalachian professor organizes Ugandan trip
Appalachian State University associate professor and Ugandan native Dr.
Jacob Matovu planned a study abroad trip to Uganda this summer for
students, as well as non-degree seeking individuals interested in
visiting the area.
The program will last five weeks, departing July 2 and returning Aug. 5.
Students interested in the trip must sign up for two courses – six
hours of credit – choosing among four different courses, including an
independent studies course.
“The independent studies classes are structured around the student’s major,” Matovu said.
The deadline for applying for the trip has been extended until after Spring Break.
Matovu’s personal goal is to have 15 students on the trip and about five associates, or non-degree seeking participants.
Besides taking courses at Kyanbogo University in Uganda’s capital,
Kampala, students will also experience trips to “visit families, go
into the more rural areas, attend a wedding, possibly a
child-naming ceremony or an installation of heirs,” Matovu said.
Matovu plans to take the students as far east as Jinja and as far west as Queen Elizabeth National Park.
During the week, classes will visit agencies in fields such as radio
broadcast and advertising to expose Appalachian communication students
to differences between communication systems.
“I want to teach students about the differences in various areas of
social communication, including religious, political, gender, family,
health and generational communication,” Matovu said.
During the afternoons and evenings, various forms of entertainment will
be brought in for students to enjoy. There will be friendly games and
competitions, as well as some service learning opportunities.
Matovu’s trip has interested faculty at East Tennessee State University and Winthrop University who might attend as associates.
Appalachian student Amanda B. Edgell, a junior political science major, is in Uganda currently studying at Kyanbogo University.
She stays in contact with Matovu via e-mail.
“There is such a diverse culture here and many different things happening all at once,” Edgell said.
“The role that ethnicity and clan plays has been especially thrilling to learn about.”
Matovu said he would like for students to come away thinking “if Dr.
Matovu can come from here and reach there, how far can we reach given
our opportunities, privileges and resources?”
For more information about the trip, contact Dr. Matovu at (828) 264-2406 or e-mail him at
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