About

I am passionate about three things in life: my family,  travelling and the power of education.  Over the last 10 years, during the school holidays, I have had the opportunity to visit and work in schools in Namibia, Uganda and Rwanda.  Each trip has been a privilege, an adventure and a challenge. I always learn as much as I teach.

My husband once commented that it was a bit sad that teaching was my hobby as well as my job! He was right. A particular area of interest has always been Global Citizenship.  In the current political climate, it seems important to champion respect for each other and acceptance of diversity, as key values for our children.  After all, they are the future leaders.  Ignorance ends when understanding and empathy begins. An important part of this project is sharing what I learn with everyone at home.

Following my previous trips, I have always shared the adventures with children in my own school, other schools, local groups and teaching colleagues. It’s a way of bringing the wonder of the world back home.

Before I visited Uganda, I asked friends and colleagues what they knew about the country.  Buzz words included; Idi Amin/AIDS/Poverty/Child Soldiers/Dangerous/Primitive. When I was in Uganda, I asked people there to tell me what they knew about Scotland.  The answers were as follows: Everyone is white. Everyone is rich. Everyone is happy. There are no social problems. There are no personal problems. People are very wasteful. Stereotypical views often hold grains of truth but they certainly don’t tell the whole story!

However, when you asked children in my school about Uganda, they said: Children have a much healthier diet. People are strong and work very hard., They are resourceful. Children have a lot of responsibility.  Everything is recycled.  Everyone loves singing and dancing. Children can make their own toys – even footballs!

We have as much to learn from other countries and cultures as we have to share.