Cincinnati, Ohio, September 6, 2018 – Over the summer, seven Saint Ursula
Academy students and two Saint Ursula Academy teachers traveled to Shirati, Tanzania and its surrounding communities with the
Village Life Outreach Project of the University of Cincinnati. Village Life Outreach Project is an
international non-profit organization that works in partnership with three
remote villages in Tanzania, East Africa. Their goal is to design and implement
projects to improve the lives of the villagers in the areas of clean water
access to healthcare and education.Saint Ursula
Academy Art Teacher Kurt Nicaise, and Musical Theater Teacher, Katherine
Jennings ’09, traveled to Africa with the seven students from the school. Margaret Berding ’19 of Indian Hill, Eva
Caudill ’19 of Colerain Township, Maddie Cherry ’19 of Pierce Township, Anna
Haught ’19 of Hyde Park, Savannah Kleeman ’18 of White Oak, Kelly Packer ’19 of
West Chester, and Evie Racadio ’19 of Madiera were the Saint Ursula students
who applied, interviewed and were ultimately chosen to attend this cultural
immersion experience.
In Tanzania, the
group learned about a number of difficulties faced by the Tanzanian
people. While in the village of
Nyambogo, students learned about the health concerns related to unclean water
and witnessed a deep well water distribution center in the village which had
multiple remote water taps in outlying areas of the village. The girls were able to reflect on the
availability of clean water at point of need in the United States compared to
the limited supply of clean water in this particular village. They witnessed the pride of the villagers who
maintained the distribution system and learned about the improved health of the
area residents as a result of having clean water.
They also
visited the village of Burere, where they spent time at the local elementary school
talking with villagers, teachers, and the school principal. Here the SUA students were amazed there were only
seven teachers available for the 680 students who attended the school, with
class sizes exceeding 50 students. While
this village has access to plenty of water from Lake Victoria, the water
contains an intestinal parasite which causes many nutritional and health concerns
among the villagers.
Next, students
visited the village of Roche, where Village Life Outreach has established a
medical clinic and dormitories for the medical staff. This rural clinic is the only place to
receive true medical care in the area, and it is staffed by medical workers, with
only occasional doctors. The clinic is
the only source of clean water in the area but the water pumped via the wells
is still archaic compared to the water systems in most of the United States.
While the
people of rural northwestern Tanzania face many dire hardships in terms of
access to education, healthcare and clean water supplies, they are a very
welcoming and spirit-filled people who readily open their hearts and homes to
visitors.
SUA Art Teacher,
Kurt Nicaise, said, “By partnering with Village Life Outreach, our students had
an incredible opportunity to visit and get to know the people of Tanzania. They
formed connections with students from halfway around the world, looking past
differences and finding a similar desire for education, peace and happiness in
life. I am sure that this trip will greatly
affect our students in the coming years as they venture into college and their
chosen careers. They will be forever changed!”
In addition to
learning about the challenges of the area, the students had the opportunity to
explore the similarities between their lives in Cincinnati and the lives of the
students in Tanzania. While in each of
the three villages, Saint Ursula students had time to meet local high school
students and share a teacher-led activity with them. Together with their Tanzanian counterparts, students
learned a simple song with words in a made-up language. Together, the girls discussed the spirit and feeling
of the song and determined that this song was about peace, unity, and
friendship. Finally they painted a large
canvas with acrylic paints with patterns of circular interconnected pathways exemplifying
global connections and sisterhood.
At the
conclusion of the trip, the SUA students went on safari in Kenya, where they saw
many of the great animals of the Maasai Mara National Preserve and then, in
Nairobi, Kenya, visited a giraffe sanctuary and elephant orphanage.
In reflection,
the students who traveled to Tanzania were most impressed with the spirit of
the Tanzanian people, and their focus on family, love, and relationships. They also have a greater appreciation for the
daily “necessities” which we often take for granted—food, education, and water.
SUA student Anna Haught ’19 is grateful for the opportunity
to experience another culture. “I
learned so much from this trip. I learned that I should not take for granted
the education I have, the medical centers I have right down the road from my
house, and the water I have easily accessible to me. I also learned to be more
concerned with growing as a whole person and being close to the people around
me,” said Anna.
By funding a
healthcare center in collaboration with UC Health, providing education, and
implementing plans for residents to gain greater access to clean water, Village
Life Outreach is enhancing lives every day.
By including local high school students in this initiative, the project
is empowering young people to gain a greater awareness of the problems and
continue to seek answers to these challenges.
2018 was the
inaugural year for this cultural immersion trip for high school students. Saint
Ursula Academy will be honored on Friday, September 7 at the annual fundraiser
for Village Life Outreach, Night on the Serengeti, for their dedication to the
cause and support of the Village Life Outreach Project.
This year’s
trip continues Saint Ursula’s connection to Tanzania that was started by Saint
Ursula design classes led by design educator, Alison Probst. Probst guided her students to design a series
of items which were sold at the last two Night
on the Serengeti events to help purchase bicycles for the men and women of
Tanzania.
Saint Ursula Academy is a Catholic,
college-preparatory, secondary school for young women known for academic excellence
and rich tradition. Saint Ursula welcomes students from more than 90 grade
schools in the Greater Cincinnati area. The
Academy is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon
School. The campus, located at 1339 E. McMillan Street in East Walnut Hills has
been the home of St. Ursula Academy and Convent since 1910. The Class of 2017
earned college scholarships totaling more than $21-million.
###
Photo caption: Saint Ursula Academy students and teachers
traveled to Tanzania and created collaborative art projects in each village
they visited. Featured in the photo,
along with the people of Tanzania are (l-r) Kelly Packer ’19 of West Chester,
Eva Caudill ’19 of Colerain Township, Savannah Kleeman ’18 of White Oak,
Margaret Berding ‘ 19 of Indian Hill, Anna Haught ’19 of Hyde Park, Maddie
Cherry ’19 of Pierce Township, and Evie Racadio ’19 of Madiera.