Mind the gap year

Like many people at the end of their schooling, Emily Steward wanted to take time out from education. She wound up working with children in the slums of Mbale in Uganda

I'd heard of the charity Jenga through my church but I thought it would be impossible for someone with such a physical impairment to go to Uganda. My friend Amy and I contacted the charity director and talked it over with him; he said he'd love to have two young people helping out, and didn't see my impairment as a problem. And my friend and I ended up in Mbale.

In the mornings Amy and I would be left with 100 plus young kids to look after in kids' club. We would play games like cat and mouse with them; it was important to do things that let them just be children because at home they were learning so much responsibility (looking after siblings, cleaning, etc) and having to grow up so quickly. I couldn't always run around with them, especially in the heat, so I'd often sit back with a few girls and braid their hair, stuff like that. We also taught them basic things like personal hygiene.

Then some afternoons we'd work with kids from around 11-19 years, mentoring them and encouraging them to go to school.

It's not easy to get an education out there; it costs a lot so it's important for the kids to go to classes. We'd help them with homework too.

The Ugandan attitude to my disability was really interesting. They had the idea that Westerners were invincible. So when they saw I had a crutch, that I had trouble walking, they were pretty mystified. But then once they were over it they were just so kind and helpful; kids would grab my hand all the time and help me walk through flatter routes through the slums.

I went to a nearby hospital called Cure in Uganda which specialised in treating children with spina bifida, to speak to patients. It was so humbling to be able to show them that people with spina bifida can live to 20 and travel to other countries. The kids felt they could ask me a lot of questions they'd never dared approach with doctors.

- For more information on Jenga and their community development programmes visit jengauganda.org

- Emily Steward was talking to Cathy Reay

EMILY STEWARD: CAREER PATH

- July 2008 - left secondary school with A-Levels in Biology, Religious Studies and Politics and an AS Level in Chemistry
- August 2008 - January 2009 - worked in a local shop to raise money for travelling abroad
- February 2009 - May 2009 - went to Mbale, Uganda to work on Jenga's community development outreach programme
- June 2009 - had surgery to realign foot with three months recovery
- September 2009 - started a four year Speech Science course at University College London