My AIESEC Exchange experience in Uganda

I joined AIESEC in June 2009 after meeting the president on a lunch lecture session about AIESEC during the orientation week in campus. I never took the organization seriously because I never imagined the kind of impact it would make in my life. My perception of the organization changed when the first guys went for their exchange, coming back as different individuals, with different perspectives and focus of life. The interaction with them made me think through the tunnel to see the light in taking the exchange program.

My internship experience in Uganda last year gave me a different focus of life, meeting with people from different walks of life, knowing how to accommodate them in my life was so challenging since I had never ever in one time lived with a friend from far even for a minute. 

Working in an NGO that’s establishing itself in the country was so challenging in that we had to do some introduction of the organization to people. My work as an intern involved going out to the field-community- carrying out a research on the levels of hygiene then coming to analyze it to help the organization develop services that would improve the living conditions of the community. Delivering career guidance and counseling to high school students with aim of empowering them to excel in life, visiting patients in hospitals gave me a reality of the Health Sector in Africa which needs to be worked on appropriately. The most challenging part was when going to the field in that we used to walk long distances and by the time we were done for the day @ noon, we had to wait for the shade since the areas were so unbearable with the sun scorching heavily on the inhabitants and us. Writing reports was the odd of the day, week and month.

It was called the “Pearl of Africa” rich in culture and tradition, sites, fashion and many more. We were shocked of the country’s culture the first time we realized that women had to kneel every time they were talking to men and they are to greet men not vice versa. Coming to food it was so shocking no Ugali for a whole three weeks which we had to ask for because of our Kenyan genes, crazy, crazy with the delicious delicacies of Ugandan brothers like rolex and Katiko…you can’t imagine all that experience being shot of words to express it out as we had to take some few lessons on how to prepare Katiko.

The internship brought out an experience in which I was able to appreciate my African roots-waking up early in the morning to fetch water from the river brought back my memories of the roles of men in society. It was so fascinating that under such circumstances you get to know people better and better. The river in the morning is so clean that you could think of the streams of river Jordan in heaven, but to your amazement you could kill yourself by noon if you saw the river.

I really appreciate what AIESEC has done in my life after that impactful experience that gets me guessing every time I see young people wasting their lives without prior knowledge of what they could do while impacting other people, as agents of positive change in society. The experience gave me a new lease to think differently to always ask why, speak out my mind, developed my personality, experienced a different culture, and showed me how to interact with different personalities, increase my network. If everyone could see where I was before AIESEC they could not believe the impact. That’s why I will always advocate AIESEC to every young person in the world.

If you think you have heard enough experience, think again because AIESEC is something you need to experience once more to get its experience.

The internship was in courtesy of: