Abi Muir's Voluntary Year in Uganda with Project Trust!: Last Blog Entry

I can hardly beleive it still that Ive been back in the UK for just over 3 weeks. I remember being in Uganda and Achiltibuie and my home was a whole other world! But now im sitting in my sitting room writing up my last blog about the most incredible, unforgettable year ive ever had.

So as you can probably guess the last month was full of goodbyes and rounding up our work at our project. The last day of school came as a bit of a shock as we had always thought that it ended on the friday (1st of August) When infact Deo came up to us on the monday to tell us that they were actually going to finnish that day! So suddenly we rushed round the back for the end of year assembly. All of the teachers stood up on the platform/stage while the kids did the usual of lining up in their classes infront of us. I was looking over all of the kids trying to take in as much of their faces as i could! I know for a fact that some of the kids i will most likely never see again as they will move villages, change schools etc. So it was heartbreaking to think that some children that i have become so close with over the year i may not ever see again. I found myself having to choke back the lump in my throat at the thought. Jess and I gave a speech on how grateful we were to be teaching in such a fantastic school that Salvation is. How much we enjoyed getting to know each and every child and how much we would miss them all. I dont think alot of them had quite fully understood that we were actually leaving until the assembly. We then gave out awards for the house winner of that term which was a lovely way to round up the assembly.
It was so strange to have our last assembly at the school. I remember our first one Jess and I stood at the side unsure quite what was happening! Now a year on we were standing up on the stage infront of all the children and staff that we had grown so close to over the year.
After the assembly there was about a 15 minute break before they went home. Chatting with all the children was such a nice way to end it, laughing and joking around like we did so many times at break times and lunch times. I dont think ive ever met such amazing kids as i have in Uganda! All of sudden it was time for them to go home. I just wanted to grab them all and not let them go! As we watched them run off home i had tears in my eyes (if you know me well you will know i never cry!) I remember before this day came thinking how hard it was going to be watching them all walk off knowing that i may not see some of them again. It definitely was one of the hardest things ive experienced.

For the last day of school with the teachers (as after the kids went home the next couple of days were marking exams and then a parents meeting) We had a lovely lunch of rice and beans, yes rice not posho! We also bought a big bottle of soda to share out with the teachers. It was a really nice day and we also gave a lot of our old clothes to some of the teachers which they loved! It was like seeing woman at a sale in primark or something!
We also had a parents meeting for all the parents to come to discuss their childrens reports and next term requirements. Unfortunatly for Jess and I it was all in Luganda so we sat outisde playing with namakula. It was really interesting seeing all the parents that we hadnt seen before as it was easy to tell who was whos parents! Once the meeting was over I met some of the parents including one of my favourite kids Lawrence's (i know your not meant to have favourites!) I have only seen her from afar with a wave and a greeting but she came up to me and thanked me for being such a good friend to lawrence and how much they were going to miss me and that lawrence didnt want me to leave and thanked me for teaching him. It was so touching to hear and it felt so rewarding to be so appreciated. She shook my hand alot and then walked home. I just sat there thinking about what she said, i cant even describe how i felt but it was such a mix of happiness and sadness. I always knew it was going to be hard to leave but i didnt quite expect how hard it actually was.
Our last night at the project we had bought some soda and sweets to share with the kids. Sitting with them all outside it suddenly hit me just how much i would miss them all! I didnt want the next day to come and actually have to say goodbye to them. What i would have done to take them all back to achiltibuie with me!

The last day at our project was full of last minute clean outs of things and everyone coming round to our house and sitting and chatting with them all. We were being picked up by a mattatu in the afternoon so i couldnt help thinking while sitting with everyone that i was going to have to say goodbye to them all that day I had a horrible sick feeling at the pit of my stomach for the whole day. Deo also gave us a painting of his, which was so so nice of him to do. Definitly going to be framed on my wall!. He also gave us each a certificate for volunteering with them for the whole year. (now that is allready framed) It was such a nice gift to be given. He also told us how grateful they all were for our work that we did and that the parents told him to tell us how much they appreciated us teaching their children. It was so nice to hear!
Although lots of threatening that they were going to tie us to the flag posts so we would never leave the mattatu came and everyone helped pack our bags into the back. Suddenly i realized i was hugging people goodbye which i couldnt beleive was actually happening! I didnt want to let go of sara and rose. They had been like sisters to me for the year and now i was saying goodbye! It was also heartbreaking to say goodbye to benita and namakula although they didnt quite know what was going on. I even found myself choking up saying goodbye to Gita who ran the shop opposite us! It was so unbeleivably sad. I was saying goodbye to the amazing friends i had made over the year that had helped us and guided us and welcomed us into their lives with open arms. Although i didnt get to properly say goodbye to yiga brian we had been mucking about earlier on a bike and he had to go home so with a silly handshake we did he left and herbert was at school although the night before we had said a causual goodbye as he thought he would be back before we left. In some ways it was easier having those goodbyes casual as i knew they would be some of the hardest ones.
Getting into the taxi and waving to everyone out of the window was the hardest thing. The taxi out was full of tears and the surreal feeling that we were actually leaving.

A 8 hour flight from Entebbe airport to London Heathrow and then an hour flight to Edinburgh I was finally home. On the plane I had such mixed emotions i dont think ive ever felt like it! I was obviously hearbroken to leave what i called my home for the past year and leave everyone i had become friends with but i was also looking forward to seeing my friends from the UK and my family! It was as if there were so many mixed emotions the only way to cope with it all was to feel neutral. Walking through to the departures i had the biggest butterflys ive ever felt! I have to admit i did feel exceptionally grimey in the airport as i saw people in their shorts (still was a shock to see people wear clothes above the knee!) while we were stumbling past all sweaty, dirty and just generally not that clean! I was welcomed at the airport by my dad and sisters which was amazing! I couldnt quite beleive i was actually hearing their voices! It was the most surreal feeling being with people that you havnt seen for a year that you used to see all the time! It was lovely seeing them all again.

So i have now seen all my friends and family and I am getting myself packed up once again to start a new chapter of university! Im going to edinburgh university to study health, science and society. I am super excited for what instore for me next!
So far i have found adjusting to the UK life not too bad. I was quite overwhelmed at the order and cleanliness of everything. I went shopping and found it very overwhelming at the amount of choice of soaps there were in Boots! A self checkout desk in the airport was also a mind boggling experience.
Alot of people have told me that since ive been back its like ive never been away! Its as if ive just slotted back into life here.... I dont quite know how to feel about it all if im honest. I feel like i have changed but only in small ways like the way i think about things and it has definitly broaden my view on life. I do find myself getting a bit fustrated with some things that people can complain about here. I know of course i shouldnt be getting angry at them but i cant help but think about the people out in Uganda that arent complaining about what they have and how they just get on with things with a positive outlook on it. Its made me appreciate things that we have here alot more even the simple things like running water and good roads!
I find myself thinking about everyone out in Uganda still getting on with their life, peeling their matooke, fetching water, playing football and I would do anything to go back and see them all again. I hope that one day i get the opportunity to go back to Uganda and go back to my little village and see everyone once again. I will never forget the experience of a lifetime i had in Uganda. I did so many things out there that i never thought i would get the chance to do. I met so many people that i will remember forever.
So now my Ugandan life chapter has closed and I go onto my next chapter. Hopefully one of my future chapters will lead me back to uganda but for now I am excited for what i am doing next and will keep on stuffing my face with all the food available!

Thank you everyone that has read my blogs throughout the year. Thanks to everyone that supported me and especially through fundraising. I literally couldnt have done it without your help, and i am so grateful for that!

Thanks for reading, Nansamba Abi.