First Presbyterian Portland 2023 Mission Trip

The First Presbyterian Church of Portland Team

Kathryn Hill, Board Member is furthest to the left

In April, a team of 7 from First Presbyterian Church Portland, OR traveled to Uganda to spend a week at Kamwenge Secondary & Vocational School and Good Shepherd Kindergarten & Primary school. Three team members had visited previously; it was the first trip for the 4 others.

Rev John Mulindabigwi and his son Josh met us at the airport Friday evening and drove us to Mbarara on Saturday. There, we attended an Instillation Service for the new Dean at St. James Cathedral. The service was filled with lively music and the Cathedral was packed, requiring them to continually add more chairs to accommodate everyone.

Monday morning was our first day at the school. We attended chemistry class as well as biology and physics classes in the STEM Center, and participated in experiments with the students in each class.

Monday afternoon was spent with Primary 4-7 students discussing nutrition, cleanliness, disease prevention and the importance of staying in school. The students had MANY questions for us!

On Tuesday, the morning was spent with Secondary 1 and 2 students discussing career options. They sang their school anthem, then divided into groups based on their interest for further education in the fields of heath care, education, ministry and government/environmental work. We gave overviews of our respective professions including the education required, then opened it up to their questions.

The many school clubs gave presentations for us in the afternoon.

Debate Club



Health Club demonstrating liquid soap making



Scripture Union



Scouting Club



The following day the younger primary students helped decorate cards for us to hand out to participants at Walk the Wildwood, our annual fundraiser walk for KSVS on August 12 in Portland, OR.



Decorating cards

In the afternoon on Wednesday, Chef Simon and the culinary students taught us to make kabalagala, a traditional Ugandan deep-fried pancake.



Chef Simon with students

Making kabalagala

On Thursday morning, Rev John took us on a tour of the surrounding community where we met parents of students and saw newly acquired land used for growing crops, mostly harvested to help feed the students and staff at the school. In the afternoon, we toured the farm on the campus including the piggery.

That evening, we enjoyed dinner with the teachers and staff.



Friday morning was spent visiting the many vocational programs offered at KSVS including construction, carpentry, welding, tailoring, hairdressing, and auto mechanics.

Welding

Tailoring

Hairdressing

Auto mechanics

A new carpentry and welding shop is currently being built, with students from vocational programs helping with the construction. We were impressed with the progress they made during the week we were on campus.



Friday afternoon was spent singing and dancing with the Primary students. Each class had prepared a presentation and we all sang while Rev Spencer from our team played guitar.



Primary students

Rev. Spencer with guitar



We departed campus Sunday after worshipping with the students on campus. It was hard to say our goodbyes. For those of us who have visited KSVS in the past, it was a wonderful time to reunite after a 4-year hiatus due to Covid. For first time visitors, it was an eye-opening experience to see what God has been and is currently doing at the school and in the surrounding community.

After our week at the school, we enjoyed time in Queen Elizabeth Park with a boat ride on the canal that flows between Lake George and Lake Edward. We then returned to Mbarara before leaving for the airport to fly home.

While in Mbarara we met with three students from the PIM Graduates Scholarship Program who are studying nursing at a near-by university. Two years ago, PIM established this new program to help qualified students pursue advanced education after graduating from KSVS. Interested students complete an application which is reviewed along with letters of recommendation from their teachers by a Ugandan-based committee. Currently there are 5 students enrolled in this program. These students are already making a difference in their community by teaching their families information they have learned in school such as malaria prevention techniques, and better waste removal practices.



As funding grows for this program, more students will be able to pursue advanced education. If you’d like to learn more or donate, click here.

Traveling to Kamwenge to see the school and surrounding community is a wonderful opportunity to see how Rev John’s vision has materialized and is continuing to expand. If you have an interest in joining a team making a trip to the school, contact us at [email protected].