GCV

James Rayner, another enthusiastic volunteer who’s had a great experience on the project has shared his thoughts in a few words:

“In January 2011 I set off to Grace Children’s Village to contribute to the construction phase of the new classrooms, general maintenance at the school and associated farm, and share my ideas on the progression of the project towards community self-sufficiency.

The relationships I made with the local community were unforgettable, particularly with village teenagers Andrew, Arod, Amon and Roland, who I spent a lot of time working alongside. Without knowing any of the local language, Rukiga, and them knowing very little English, we had to develop our own method of communication and slowly began learning phrases in each other’s language.

The GCV vision of self-sufficiency and sustainability is one that is simple yet unfortunately not always implemented in charity based projects. Educating adults to become self-sufficient through efficient, integrated and sustainable agricultural practices, rearing of livestock, and through tourism focused initiatives is, to me, the secret to the on-going success story.

I gained a great deal of satisfaction knowing that I was making some form of difference to the lives of these poverty stricken people and am grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of it.”