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GAP YEAR GIRLS REPORT FROM UGANDA

While some of this year’s school leavers are just embarking on their gap years, three girls from the class of 2008 report back on theirs:

Sophia Barker, Mary-Jane Collinson and Rosie Margesson enrolled with Africa Asia Venture (AAV) and travelled to Uganda in February for a four month trip to do voluntary work. Each went to teach in a different local school.

“Before we went, we had frequently seen Uganda in news reports about poverty, and the trip gave us the opporutnity to learn a lot more about its culture,” reports Sophia.

“Teaching classes of 90 was not easy, and we frequently discussed lessons between one another as well as with our other housemates. However we were determined to help others and it was extremely gratifying to achieve so much. We all gained confidence and developed our social skills with all the people we met and enjoyed some fantastic experiences such as going on safari, white-water rafting, gorilla trekking and bungee jumping.

“To anybody who is thinking about taking a gap year, we would all highly recommend AAV – and are hugely jealous that we are not able to do it again ourselves. There is nothing we would change about the experience!”

The girls, all aged 19, have now returned to the UK to start university. Sophia and Mary-Jane are destined for Leeds, to read Classical Civilisation and Medicine respectively, and Rosie will study Classical Civilisation and English Literature at Exeter.