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Appalachian students travel to Uganda, commit to service learning |
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Tuesday, 12 February 2008 |
by LAUREN LAWSON
News Reporter
After hearing a speaker from Uganda, students from social work professor Dr. Tiffany Y. Christian’s diversity course could not wait to travel to Africa to volunteer and help struggling villages.
“We’re planning on spending three weeks working in Lugazi helping in areas such as women’s economic development, health education such as providing Malaria nets and working with children,” Christian said.
The service-learning trip will be from May 18 to June 8. Ten people are already registered, and five spots remain open.
“We will spend a majority of the time working in the village, but one
weekend we will travel to the source of the Nile and another weekend to
Queen Elizabeth National Park,” Christian said.
Senior social work major Sarah L. Leggett and freshman sociology major Allison D. Horton are already registered for the trip.
“I started having the desire to travel to Africa recently and when I
saw the flyer for the trip I thought, ‘why wait? If not now, then
when?’” Horton said.
Leggett said growing up, she never traveled out of the country until a recent trip to Costa Rica.
“Everything was so new to me. It really got my interest sparked to
travel more...I have learned that I have been so ignorant about my own
culture,” she said.
Leggett said two of the biggest reasons for deciding to go on this trip
were having a professor she trusts to provide a learning experience and
also going with a group of students with a passion to help people.
“I want to gain more tolerance for different people and cultures and
gain a perspective through the eyes of the people I’m working with,”
she said. “They didn’t want to go as tourists or students though. They
wanted to be immersed and help out.”
The cost of the trip is $3,850, including airfare from Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
Christian said they plan to fundraise by selling necklaces made by
women in Uganda, as well as holding a concert in Farthing Auditorium
March 6.
Anyone interested in the trip should contact Christian at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Students should also be on the lookout for the Ugandan handmade necklaces being sold on campus this week.
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