|
DISCS
Home
Ultimate
Discgolf
Frostie
APPAREL
Head Gear
Body Gear
ACCESSORIES
Books & Videos
COMPANY
About Us
Contact Us
FAQ
PROGRAMS
Schools / Youth
Retailers
 Community
HOW TO BUY
DDD Gear
Custom Discs
Order Forms
|
 |
|
'The Uganda Story'
by Jeff Eng
The upcoming ultimate season is fast approaching. Each day, the grass grows a little greener and the sun lingers in the sky a little longer. I look at my stack of discs that I tucked away many months ago and I think about how my cleats have been collecting dust. And I think about the last time that I felt something inside me surge as the first pull of a game is let loose.
What makes this year's memory so unique though, is that the last time I had that feeling, it wasn't at Nationals, or at league playoffs, or at the last local tournament to close off the season. It took place in East Africa, against the backdrop of the rolling hills of Uganda - a truly beautiful place, both in terms of its geography, and more importantly, its people. From the moment I stepped out of the plane onto the tarmac at the airport in Entebbe, I knew that I could really grow to love the place. And in the short time that I was there, I did just that.
Uganda is a place so different from home that my short stay simply could not do it justice and to say that the people, the culture, and the environment were so foreign to me is so obvious that it is barely worth stating. And yet, despite the myriad of differences, there are, at the same time, probably more things that I found in common and that reminded me of home. Certainly, many people are poor, but traffic jams, extravagant restaurants, electricity, and running water exist in Uganda just as does back home. The people in Uganda have all the same things that we have, only fewer people have access to them. In time, some of the more subtle similarities made themselves apparent. The smile of a friendly shopkeeper, the words of a keen mind, the sound of children laughing. The people on the other side of the world really aren't that different from those living and working right next to me...
I had a unique opportunity not afforded to many people over my holidays. Not only did I travel to East Africa, which, in itself is not entirely common, but I also had the privilege of visiting a refugee settlement in Uganda. My girlfriend was volunteering for Right to Play, an NGO that, through sport and play programs, promotes peace, healthy communities, and physical and emotional development for disadvantaged children.
Ultimate was one of the sports that was part of the program for the Oruchinga Refugee Settlement in Uganda. And I felt honoured to take on the role of teacher in such a unique setting. Armed with a donated box of Daredevil discs, I set out to the settlement with the RTP workers. Though most of the people in the settlement likely had never seen a disc before, some of them took to throwing very quickly. A couple of the adult volunteers in the settlement, who help the RTP workers implement their programs, even helped out in the teaching, showing the kids how to hold and throw a disc.
Seeing that things were under control and that kids and adults alike were enjoying their time learning how to throw, I took a break to just stand aside and watch. I was reminded of so many of my years at university where I taught so many new beginners the sport. I vividly pictured the open green space by the student dorms when students were shown a forehand for the first time. The amazement in their eyes, the laughter of their first attempt to mimic it, the focused expression as one of their peers taught them the technique. It wasn't that different in Uganda.
After much throwing, it was time to get to the real fun. I explained the basic rules and the kids and volunteers were split into two teams. The teams were huge, but since so few people knew even the basics of the sport, we thought that keeping everyone together on one field would be easiest to supervise. At the end of the day, I witnessed some of the worst ultimate that I have ever seen. And yet, it was also some of the most enjoyable ultimate too. Everyone seemed to be having fun and there was always a huge crowd around the disc, not unlike the little league soccer games I used to play where kids don't have any concept of positions and just swarm the ball wherever it may go. Well, there was only so much that can be taught in such a short time period and even if I only had an opportunity to introduce the sport, I am happy to have played that small part.
Many people might argue that what these refugees need is not a box of discs with which to play ultimate... and I would agree completely. I will be one of the first to admit that, in my very limited experience, sports programs should not be at the top of any needs list. Not only was I able to teach ultimate, I also had an opportunity to see some of the daily activities that the RTP workers accomplish that are, perhaps a little less glamorous. But it is these experiences that help to give a clearer picture of the situation - not just a few hours of playing around, having fun, and then going home thinking that those few hours are truly representative of life in a refugee settlement.
So yes, refugees do need more than sports and I know that anyone here could have told me that before I left for Uganda, but there is so much more meaning that a firsthand experience brings to those words. And yet, I still cannot deny the many smiles that I saw, the hearty laughter that I heard. Ultimate won't solve their problems. But it may give people a chance to have a little fun and experience some of the joys that I likely too often take for granted. If it can bring a smile to a few faces and help forget a few worries, even for a while, then I'd say that my trip was worthwhile.
And as I close this chapter, I get the feeling that the people of Oruchinga taught me more than I could ever have taught them.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stories
Etheopia
Dominican Republic
Uganda
|
|
|
 | |
|
|
