THE UGANDA SCHOOL PROJECT
At the end of the College’s Quatercentenary, we thought it would be interesting to follow the lives and careers of the Class of 2019. Their stories continue here.
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TRAVIS YIP This year felt like an important milestone: I completed my Master’s degree in advance colouring in with computers. I started a data science role with Tui Airways, and I moved into a flat share with friends from university. Over the last three months, I have been playing around with all the data that airlines have and checking which flights still have seats left that I can book for cheap. Jokes aside, I am really glad to have landed this data scientist role in the
aviation industry. In the coming months, I will be spending some time in the airline’s operation control centre to see how things work there and what we data nerds could build to get you all to Majorca on time and smoothly. I also want to give a shout-out to alumnus Alistair Ho (06-11) who shared his experience and advice at a time when I was struggling to land my first data role. I think what really set this year apart from the last is the amount of time I was able to spend with friends and family. Having moved into a bigger apartment with two flatmates, we hosted a couple of dinners and parties, and it was such fun to have old friends from Dulwich College and university mixed together, sharing some food and banter over a game of Overcooked, of course with rounds of gin and tonic. I also took advantage of the flexibility of my job and worked remotely in Hong Kong to see my family and cats. Looking ahead, in the new year I’m planning another round of remote working to do a bit more travelling to see friends and get the most out of the perks of the job
The Uganda School Project is a charity which supports educational development in rural Uganda. Initially supporting the Bumakenya Primary School, the project has grown in its first few years to support Soono Primary School as well, with a focus on establishing an educational infrastructure. Construction is a huge part of the project, with 14 new classrooms, two latrine blocks and a 12,500l rainwater tank already completed. The project also extends to the teaching and pastoral care of the students, with free school lunches and extra-curricular education promoting the safety of the girls that attend the schools. A teacher training programme has also seen a focus on extra phonics and literacy classes and a pupil-centred approach. It is this latter element of training that will be developed following the success of the Big Give campaign in December. The campaign had a goal of raising £15,000, achieved through a partnership with the OAA by which every donation up to £7500 was matched. The campaign not only reached its goal but reached it exclusively through the support of OAs. Touchingly, it saw both a renewed group of OAs as well as those who were donating to the cause for the first time, making the engagements incredibly meaningful for the charity. It was a testament to the generosity and strength of community within the OAs at large.
MALCOM EISENHARDT Again, much has changed since Trevor last asked me to contribute to the OA Magazine. In May, my time at the University of Leeds came to a close, graduating with a first-class honours degree in Geography – a shoutout to Trevor Llewelyn and Max Davidson for their patience during 2016-19... A long summer followed with trips to the US, Colombia, and Spain before my graduation ceremony in July. I cherish my time in Leeds, where I made fantastic memories and lifelong friends.
I’ve now stepped into the working world joining Wasserman, a US-based sports agency. I recently wrapped up work on their NFL account and am excited to begin working on the F1 account in the new year. My weekends remain dominated by football: playing for the OAs in the morning and cheering on Fulham in the afternoon. I’m doing my best to recruit more friends from my year group into OAs football and I'm hopeful that this time next year, I’ll be writing about some silverware! Although life now involves more time in the office and less time with friends, there’s plenty to look forward to. Group trips to Munich for the NFL and Chamonix for skiing are on the horizon. Maybe this whole ‘real life’ thing isn’t so bad—but I won't speak too soon.
The project is using the funds primarily to focus on their teacher training programme, which will centre the student and aim to equip the teachers with a methodology that allows them to maintain an excellent standard of learning across a classroom of mixed abilities. By addressing learning challenges early on and working with the observations of the participants, the result will empower teachers to use a variety of adaptable approaches to suit their students. Further projects are still in the works and will be aided by funds from the Big Give campaign: an upgrading of the Women and Girls programme, connecting the buildings to the national water supply and further building work are all on the horizon for later in the year.
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