ACE News
Alumni Spotlight:
Andres Madrid's Journey from Austin to Uganda
March 31, 2011
Andres became an AmeriCorps member in 2007, after deciding he would commit two years of his life to singing and playing with four-year-olds while they learned the alphabet and other concepts. Little did Andres know that this experience would give him the skills to serve in places beyond his imagination. Here is his story:
Two years after I completed my two terms of service as an early childhood literacy tutor, I found myself on the other side of the world serving in Africa. I was one of nine students selected to be part of the 2011 Uganda Immersion trip hosted by St. Edward's University Campus Ministry. The goal for the International Immersion program is to find a home in a new culture. The program offered us a glimpse into the daily lives of people from another country while examining the critical issues of society and exploring our responsibility in the global community.
Reflecting upon my years of service, both at Lucy Read and at MainSpring Nursery School in Austin, I was able to immerse myself easily into the culture and communities around Fort Portal, Uganda. Our mission was to build community, engage spiritually, do justice, and live simply so others can simply live. Among the work we provided, we visited three schools for children with disabilities and two HIV/Aids clinics. Being a migrant farm worker, I had seen poverty first hand. Never in my mind did I expect to encounter such poverty or struggles as I witnessed in Uganda. However, the trip was not all sadness or frustration. I was able to recognize hope and service.
I was able to use my learned skills from AmeriCorps to dramatize and sing songs to the children at the schools we visited. Because English is the national language of Uganda, we were able to sing songs like the "Hokey Pokey" and play games such as Simon Says. My ability to interact with the children was definitely optimized because of my experience in AmeriCorps.
Through the experiences I had in AmeriCorps and at St. Edward's University, I have learned that we are all interconnected, and service to others is the key to finding that connection.
Andres Madrid
Former ACE and AmeriCorps Member