Lillian is one of thirty (14-19 years old) Ugandans who were rewarded for their active involvement in improving their communities through volunteer service. These Golden Heart Winners attended the Service Summit along with about 200 sociallyengaged international school participants from twelve countries, representatives from NGOs and companies involved with social responsibility activities. The Service Summit was hosted by The International School of Uganda (ISU) and took place January 29- 31, 2009. The first two days were jam-packed with keynote speakers and workshops followed by a third day of service activities.

Dr. Jane Goodall inspired the next generation to treat the planet with the respect and tenderness that will allow it to continue caring for future generations. A Canadian, Thom Henley, encouraged students to follow their passions. Helga Rainer from Uganda explored the importance of research in finding effective solutions to social problems.

Half of the workshops provided the opportunity for the students to impress the professionals by presenting best practices of community service from their schools. The other half of the workshops demonstrated how NGOs and companies are improving the health and education of people while safeguarding the planet. Over 70 organizations participated. The primary sponsors of the Service Summit were Article & Photos by Kim Case MTN and NTV. Other sponsors included: Alam Group, Ericsson, Rwenzori Water, Brussels Airlines, Neptune Petroleum, BMS, Toyota Uganda, GTZ PREEP, Surgipham, Sign Care, Straight Talk, Ugandan Carbon Bureau, AFFORD, among others. During the last day each participant served the community by: planting 1000 trees in a depleted forest reserve in Kalagala, Jinja; providing art activities for kids with special needs; assisting with Reproductive Health Uganda’s ‘Positive Youth Action’ events in Kampala and Luwero; making energy efficient stoves and natural paper; and documenting the stories of young residents of Suweto.

This is where Salima Visram from Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa heard Lillian talk about her day, her interests
and her dreams. Together they wrote the text: As a girl, life in Soweto is a bit hard, especially at night when I cannot walk alone, as I face the threat of being raped. My dream is to one day, change Soweto into a better place for all my friends living here, and make everyone more aware of sanitation and hygiene. Salima saw with her own eyes why Lillian worries about sanitation because there are limited sanitation facilities in the slum and there is a charge levied for each visit to the latrine, which forces many people to find alternatives such as the railroad tracks and kaveeras—plastic bags. All the stories and photos will be compiled by an ISU student and will be used to raise money for the young people in ‘Suweto’. The Golden Heart Winners concluded that: The youth learnt a lot and will not be the same thereafter. We have been motivated to make a difference in our communities through providing a service that is beneficial to all. Building from the Service Summit, ISU is committed to nurturing positive youth action though a dynamic community service program. Every year each ISU student helps meet legitimate community needs through age-appropriate service activities, which also bolsters the students’ real world understanding of the educational program. ISU welcomes and invites partnerships with organizations that would like to host volunteers. Please email us at beyond@isumail.ac.ug

For more information about the Service Summit
please visit www.isu.ac.ug/Service_Summit