UG: Hello Johnny. In addition to your job as a musician, you have the Afrika Rise e. V. founded. What exactly does your club do and how do you manage to combine two projects?
JS: We are an association that promotes German-African development cooperation. We are currently building a secondary craft school in a province near Kampala, the capital of Uganda. On the one hand, we are renovating the school building and using donations to get tables and chairs. On the other hand, teaching concepts must be created, such as teaching the basics of mathematics or English. Of course, we also teach ourselves, with help from students who feel confident in the subjects. There is a lot of work that wants to be done. But I never saw her as such. It's a fulfilling feeling when you see the fruits of your labor. For example, when you have finished painting a classroom or see the students' learning progress. It's amazing what great achievements you are capable of when you know what you're doing.
UG: Especially as a young person, you have a longing to travel to foreign countries and discover the world. However, as a student you rarely have the money to afford a longer stay abroad.
JS: Yes, that's right. Sitting in front of the computer and reading texts does not satisfy young people's thirst for knowledge. There is valuable experience that you gain when, for example, you test the theory of project planning on a real example in one of our projects and see whether the planning has brought a project forward more quickly or not. Africa is an up-and-coming continent, but so far only the rich can afford a university education there. The young population of Africa is very motivated and interested in the knowledge of German students. They thank everyone with cultural and human wealth who passes on their knowledge there. By staying with selected host families, accommodation and meals are not expensive by European standards.
UG: It is often said that employers look for practical experience and a strong personal profile when selecting their applicants. To what extent can I justify taking a semester off and traveling to Africa?
JS: Finding your way around a foreign country is a challenge. Through our organization you will be connected directly to the right projects and people. You will learn how to quickly integrate into a team and how to tackle things together. You will learn about cultural peculiarities and also communicate in a foreign language, such as English in Uganda. So during your vacation semester you'll write an unbeatable portfolio and have a great, unforgettable time.
UG: Where can I find out what projects there are and who I should contact?
JS: If you are particularly interested in Uganda, you can contact us via afrikarise.de or welcometouganda.org. But there are also many other organizations that specialize in certain topics and countries. They are easy to find on the Internet.
Cover photo: Photo by Claudia Tiersch
UG: Hello Johnny. In addition to your job as a musician, you have the Afrika Rise e. V. founded. What exactly does your club do and how do you manage to combine two projects? JS: We are an association that promotes German-African development cooperation. We are currently building in a province near Kampala, the capital of Uganda
