A group of UAE students have returned from a community action trip to Uganda, where they learned about "world's realities" and helped less privileged students and teachers.

Students from the Cambridge International School in Abu Dhabi visited the sister branch in Kampala, Uganda, as part of the GEMS Global Education programme.

They also learned about the country's culture, geography, environmental issues and interacted with the students and teachers during the two weeks they were there.

"This experiential journey involved students taking part in community action projects with local Dream Africa Schools (DAS). They built a herb and vegetable garden for the school so that the children could eat fresh vegetables from their own garden in the future. Students also acted as teaching assistants supporting and leading learning activities with younger peers," the head of global citizen connections at GEMS Education, Tracy Moxley, said.

"Working with their specialist teachers, the students completed three large murals in each of the schools they visited. The DAS students were delighted and performed traditional African songs for the visitors as a 'thank you'. Students have spent two weeks in Uganda and a full week in the schools, making some new friends there."
Moxley added that the student exchange experiences "aims to enable all students to critically understand the world's realities and to participate as active global citizens".

The programme has also been designed to increase students' awareness of the real world and to encourage an understanding of the interdependence of individuals, cultures and societies.

Wardah Arain Wassem, a student who went on the trip, said he learned many things from this experience and gained knowledge on the world's environmental issues.

"This trip was amazing, adventurous and, importantly, eye opening," he said. "I learned things and did work that I never imagined I'd do, such as cementing and gardening. I had an amazing experience at the safaris where I encountered animals which are almost extinct. It was an amazing experience with all my friends and also the others we met at the school and in Kampala."

Another student, Asser Ali Alneyadi, said this trip was a "life-changing experience" for him.

"My whole perception of reality has changed. I have learnt to be more independent and discovered that I should step out of my comfort zone in order to realise my true potential," Alneyadi said.

Parents were also pleased that their kids were taken on a trip which taught them about the challenges faced in the real world.

"I believe that motivating your children to step out of what they are comfortable with could positively impact their lives and expose new personality traits. This trip has empowered our children to unlock their leadership skills by working in a collaborative environment with other nationalities to develop innovative ways to support those in need or who are less fortunate. This experience will impact their lives for years to come, Barbara Petropoulou, a parent of the one of the students that went on the trip, said.

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