- September 13, 2017 CSJ Institutions
by Kelly Davis, communications intern
On September 6, Fontbonne University held a presentation to share experiences from their trip to Gulu Immersion Trip to Uganda.
The Fontbonne students were eager to share what they had learned and experienced on their Gulu Immersion Trip. Starting with a Ugandan tradition they had learned, the participants passed around a guest book for everyone who came to the meeting to sign in.
One topic that kept coming up was the importance that relationship with the the Sisters of St. Joseph played. The CSJ presence in Gulu was the very reason the trip happened, and the participants shared how much the people of Gulu respected them because of their relationship with the CSJs. Fontbonne hoped to strengthen the bond between Fontbonne students and the CSJs, and this goal was quickly accomplished.
As students and teachers, the Fontbonne participants felt a special connection to the schools in Gulu. As such, the participants visited many schools while in Gulu and realized how important the role of education was on the community, specifically, the role education played on reunifying and revitalizing the community.
The Gulu group shared a particularly eye-opening sign they passed that read “Recovery begins with the teachers. Girl child education is a right not a choice.” Claire Gunn, a Fontbonne University graduate student shared how this sign was an example of how there were “heavy moments intertwined with the joy."
Even through the heavy moments, the participants were sure that this is just the beginning of Fontbonne’s relationship with Gulu, and were so grateful to everyone who allowed their experience to happen.
9/13/17