Uganda Expedition Extra Information

African Impact has joined together with the brave and formidable force that is Soft Power Education to assist in their efforts within the local Jinja community in Uganda. Education is a tool that can break people free – where would you be without it? Soft Power has recognised the desperate need for education in their area and is striving to deliver it to impoverished local communities.

The name Soft Power originates from a Buddhist Philosopher who, in 1996 said, ‘in the past there was ‘hard power’ in the form of military might and political force, but the future is ‘soft power’, involving factors such as knowledge, information, culture and ideas’ – in a nutshell, education.

Soft Power founder Hannah Small used the help, dedication and generosity of tourists and independent travellers to assist in the building of Buwenda Pre-school for Orphans. The land was a gift from the community and after 12 months of hard work, assisted by local builders, a pre-school appeared on the landscape. To the delight of 120 orphans the pre-school was officially opened in March 2003.

Having now built two pre-schools there has been a change in the air and it is charged with hope and enthusiasm. During the next 5 years Soft Power will refurbish, up to Government standard, the 20 Government primary schools within the sub-county of Budondo. In fact it’s a project that they have already sunk their teeth into.

During the last 24 months Soft Power has burst into 15 of these primary schools. They have built brand new classrooms, refurbished others, excavated pit latrines, installed over eight 8,000ltr water catchment tanks, and three underground tanks, provided teaching aids in classrooms, built a special needs unit complete with books and materials, resourced a Teacher Training Centre and held an International Arts Project. At each site a Youth Training Programme has been run for young males within the community.

Soft Power is also branching out within the community and has built a working pottery run by 4 local apprentices who are teaching youths and pupils from the schools to fashion pots and wild objects from clay.

They are assisting in the venture of building a local health clinic, as well as an educational centre. Soft Power’s aim is to be able to give every child currently within the Budondo sub-county and surrounding areas the chance to work with clay, read from books, touch something different, see something unusual – enabling them to explore their world. Soft Power’s successes are as a result of generous donations and serious commitment from tourists and volunteers who have passed through Jinja to have a taste of what we are doing. These individuals have dedicated a day or month to work alongside Soft Power staff and builders doing anything from sawing wood to painting murals, to hammering in nails or laying concrete. Travellers and volunteers have assisted with classroom teaching, hosted football and netball competitions and discussed lesson plans with teachers

After a rewarding time at the Soft Power base, visitors’ leave with more than just a wonderful memory and a pocketful of photos - they have been given the chance to put something back into Uganda, and into Africa.

They have had the opportunity to make a difference, and however small, it is a difference that will enable Soft Power Education to continue its march through Ugandan schools, improving the facilities that are needed to give these young children hope. The future of the world lies with the children of tomorrow, for this reason alone education has to be made available to all of them.

Hannah Small has created a charity with spirit and passion, without it the achievements of those involved with Soft Power wouldn’t be half as memorable.