VMM International

"There is very little I can do to help in this country of mostly children. I keep telling myself, 1 at a time. But I came here to experience and try to offer assistance in any way I can. Something, drew me here to see, and listen, and try and understand." bit.ly/2NFjD0i

Short Term #volunteer Observations: "I noticed a lot of goats in one place and ventured over to find out how much they cost. I think the gentleman thought I was going to buy one because he started to agree a price with me!" bit.ly/2NFjD0i

"We visited #Mugusu market, biggest in western Uganda. People come to buy clothes. We had a lot of fun looking around for pieces of material to help make a sensory rug for some children in a special needs centre. So we tried our hand at bargaining." bit.ly/2NFjD0i

"There is a gentleness here difficult to describe. People are warm and respectful and nobody is in a rush, except of course, for the mzungus! As I sat in our garden I watched a mouse and a yellow breasted weaver bird compete for some food on the grass." bit.ly/2NFjD0i

"My guide, like many Ugandans, lost his parents and was brought up by grandparents. I was interested to hear that his sister is a nun and he is a Muslim! I asked how and he explained that at 18 people make up their own minds about what path they take." bit.ly/2NFjD0i

"There were no desks in the cement-slabbed classrooms, one book for each class piled high in the corner, and no hand washing facilities. I was moved to buy desks so they don't have to learn on the floor. You would have been moved too. They are $13 each."  bit.ly/2NFjD0i

Observations from Short Term Volunteers: "Delivering a bed to our house – we are having someone else move in and need an extra bed. How best to transport it than on the back of a boda!" bit.ly/2NFjD0i @bondngo @Comhlamh @Dochasnetwork @The_Wheel_IRL @CatholicNewsSvc

"Nobody minded the distorted picture nor when the sound was too faint to hear. Luckily #Paddington is very slapstick. Then the rain came. And a power cut. There were no groans, only a few requests to see it at a different time. My heart went out to them." bit.ly/2NFjD0i

"The sun was shining as the cathedral gardener cut the hedge with his machete. The little old lady sat on her stool at the corner selling her craftwork and boda drivers scooted up and down to Virika Hospital ‘We Treat, God Heals’ the sign reads)." bit.ly/2NFjD0i

"[People] live mostly in rural areas on roads that are virtually impassable. Even mosquito nets is a cost beyond their reach. Water sanitation is a major problem. No electric wires are in sight and even the minimal amount for school fees are lacking." bit.ly/2NFjD0i

"I was wondering why there were so few students in class. A teacher explained they had been sent home to get their school fees for the term! Students pay approximately £26.62 per term, inclusive of their exam fees. Yet many of them can’t afford it." bit.ly/2NFjD0i

"One of my class asked me when we were going to do the play! I had mentioned something about this possibility when I met them first. I have since been told that to mention something is virtually to guarantee it is going to happen." bit.ly/2NFjD0i

"I passed a small cemetery with the graves of several notables. Most people bury their dead in the back garden if they have one, under a stone block. I have also been told that people have coffins with a window to be sure it is their loved one inside!" bit.ly/2NFjD0i

"It's been difficult to adjust to the level of poverty I've seen. The waste of human potential and lack resources to flourish. I'm overwhelmed by the depth of human need, unable to afford most things, living on 'subsistence farming'; a term foreign to me" bit.ly/2NFjD0i

"My housemate went to a salon. Interestingly, it appears to be men who paint the toenails. I passed a parking lot with several lorries. One had the door open and I saw a bare foot extended. A man outside took a hold of the foot, cleaning and pumicing it!" bit.ly/2NFjD0i

Short Term Volunteer Observations: "Today, it started to rain. The next teacher made no attempt to go to class until it had abated a little. I was told that they don’t compete with the rain. The corrugated roofs make it impossible to be heard." bit.ly/2NFjD0i

"The depth of belief is very strong here [Uganda]. It is evident everywhere – the notices on the streets, the names people give to their businesses, messages on cars, the things people say, even the music in the staffroom on Friday – songs of praise." bit.ly/2NFjD0i

"I know they are extremely poor, yet I feel a generosity and kindness of the people beyond measure. They come up to me and greet me, thanking me for being with them. What little they have, they give. Large groups of children surround me, eyes wide open." bit.ly/2NFjD0i

"@Ride4aWoman, women make their products, can speak with each other freely and gain the means to support their families. We were treated to a wonderful cultural display of dancing and music. I also got to join the women in their singing practice." bit.ly/2NFjD0i

"The potholes on the way back (or should I say craters) did a good job at breaking the exhaust on the 4-wheeled drive vehicle that we were travelling in. But we got back safe and sound and felt thankful and blessed for having had such an experience." bit.ly/2NFjD0i