The Ballad of the Salad

My fellow Americans, Hi!!! This is Kate Maher from the Nkula East Africa group (obviously). I am channeling you all from a computer at our guest house in ZANZIBAR. So without further a do, as your blogger, let me relate to you the events of two weeks ago. Our journey left off when we traveled from Mufindi to Njombe town, a town I love exclusively for its dairy products. They… Read More

Reflections on Mufindi

Blog from Lily B. Walking to the bus station, we learned what the benefits are to backpacking light. We headed off southbound to Mafinga for a brief wait at the bus station for the connection to Mufindi- a site of peculiar people watching and interesting cultural interactions. Bumping along the roads to Mufindi Chilren’s Village, we saw brilliant green tea fields in all directions. We met with Amari, new college… Read More

Hey Everybody! African Safari!

Blog courtesy of Maddy K. from their safari a couple of weeks ago! Thanks for your patience with the delay on posting this blog as internet can be challenging in Tanzania. Hello Hello Hello! I am Maddy Karsten from Grand Rapids, Michigan and this week’s blogger! Since our five days learning Swahili at River Valley Campsite, we have had an unforgettable 5 days. We spent three full days walking around… Read More

Hello World!

Hello there friends and family, This is Hannah here and I am currently in an internet cafe in Njombe, Tanzania and I am loving it! We just got back from Mufindi Children’s Village and my heart feels complete šŸ™‚ With so much love being put into amazing projects no wonder they are being so successful with their work! From doing baby- power hour to working out on the water pumping… Read More

Addressing Concerns of Ebola in West Africa

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is on all of our minds as it continues to permeate the media and tragically affect several West African countries. Our hearts and deepest sympathy are with those communities struggling with the outbreak. At this point in time, we will be continuing to run our East Africa program this spring. Due to the geographic location of our program, the limited air traffic between East… Read More

Karibu Tanzania

Hello family and friends of Nkula! Kasey here! I am blogging from an internet cafe in Iringa, Tanzania! This week I have a special post for you all. I created a poem to give you a glimpse into our experiences this past week. I hope you enjoy it! Waving goodbye to Rwanda Kigali, a city that stole our hearts The kindness of strangers Smushed daladala rides Are you sure we… Read More

Rwanda

Blog and photos by Claire G. Our time in Rwanda has already come to an end. We had an eventful ten days here! We started by exploring the beautiful city of Kigali. We admired its western characteristics such as paved roads, tall buildings, use of helmets and even Mexican restaurants. The next day we boarded a public bus (squished like sardines) to the Kigali Genocide Museum. We learned the history… Read More

Pictures from the Canoe Trek

While the group is currently heading off to their next project in Rwanda, Colin and Mandy wanted to send off these pictures from the canoe trek at the end of their time in Uganda on the shores of Lake Bunyonyi. Appreciation to our friends with Edirisa Canoe Trekking for helping to make this such a memorable experience!… Read More

Canoe Trek

Agandi! I am writing to you from an internet cafe in Kigali, Rwanda! Although we were sad to say goodbye to Uganda, we are looking forward to experiencing the culture and learning about Rwanda’s history! We ended our adventure in Uganda by doing a three day, two night canoe and trek on Lake Bunyonyi. Our trek was led by a superb tour guide named Owen who captured all our hearts.… Read More

Photos from Uganda

These fantastic photos were just sent in of the NKULA crew working at SNEC (the Special Needs Education Center where we volunteer with Edirisa, UK). The first is a mural they designed and painted based on Dr. Seuss’s “Oh The Places You’ll Go.” The second is the Nkula crew with many of the students at SNEC. The final photo is of the hill behind the school where our group went… Read More

SNEC (Special Needs Education Center)

Hello friends and family! We hope you’re doing well. We are writing to you from an internet cafe in Kabale, Uganda. We just returned here after five days at SNEC (Special Needs Education Center), which is partnered with Edirisa UK. SNEC is a home for special needs children ranging from primary 2 classes through primary 7. They have students as young as seven, and up to twenty two years old.… Read More

Adventures Behind and Adventures Ahead

Hello friends and family of Nkula!! I am sitting in an internet cafe in the lovely town of Kabale, Uganda. We took a nine hour bus ride to get here, through some of the most beautiful mountains most of us have ever seen. We’re nestled in between a couple of them, enjoying the fresh, mostly unpolluted air, blue sky, and chilled weather. It’s nice to wear sweatshirts for a change!… Read More

Pictures Worth a Thousand Words…

Here are a few fantastic photos of the group taken over the past few weeks sent in by the leaders, Colin and Mandy. We hope you enjoy these smiling faces as the group transitions from their time at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary towards Southwestern Uganda, where they will begin working with Edirisa, UK at the Special Needs Education Center.… Read More

The Nkula Adventure Begins!

Hello family and friends of Carpe Diem students. I’m Kylie and I’m our group’s first “blogger”! I’m writing from an awesome Internet cafe in Jinja, Uganda to update you all on our adventures. We began our trip with a laid back orientation in Entebbe. We split into groups for a scavenger hunt, ate authentic Ugandan cuisine, and even made friends with some locals. Most importantly, we got to know each… Read More

Scavenger Hunt!~

Oliolya! (Hello), Here we are sitting in an Internet Cafe in Entebbe, Uganda! It’s the second day of our time here in Entebbe. Posting this blog is Hannah, Claire, Kyra, and Kate!!! We are super excited to post the first blog, and be ahead of the game. The city is bustling and full of life. The people are all super welcoming and smiley. šŸ™‚ The food here is good but… Read More

Exploring Entebbe!

Hello families!! We arrived two days ago in Entebbe! We’re taking in all of the sights, smells, and sounds of this new-to-us city! There are smiling people everywhere, a beautiful view of Lake Victoria, and interesting wildlife. Especially large birds! It’s not too congested here, a smaller town, and we have occasional run in’s with other travelers. The food is great, nice meals from our hostel and great local exotic… Read More

Made it to Entebbe!

Hi Everyone, It’s Julia, Maddy, and Kylie! We are on a Scavenger hunt in Entebbe. One of our quests is to find an internet cafe and post a blog that gives you an image of the city. So far, we have only walked down a few streets. The local market in Entebbe is busy with countless Africans running shops and stalls on the side of the street. There are a… Read More

Nkula Is In-Country!

We just heard from the leaders again – everyone is settled in to their rooms for the evening and ready for a good night’s sleep after all of those long flights. We’re so excited for Colin, Mandy, and their crew to begin the in-country orientation tomorrow as they start to explore Uganda. This is only the beginning for the crew, and it’s great to see all of these smiling faces… Read More

From Amsterdam to Entebbe

Just a brief note to say we’ve heard from Mandy and Colin as they met the rest of their crew in the Amsterdam airport – everyone found each other without a hitch and are now well on their way to Entebbe, Uganda. Be sure to stay tuned as we’ll let you know when they’ve settled into their orientation spot in Uganda!… Read More

Headed to Uganda!

The first half of the Nkula crew has united with Colin and Mandy, their overseas educators. Grey, Julia, Maddy, Kate, and Hannah are all checking through security right now as they begin their adventures. We wish them safe journeys and will keep you posted when they unite with the rest of the group and arrive in Uganda!… Read More