Samantha Hedin/ Winonan

As the transition from summer to school was underway this past week, stories of adventurous or boring summer activities can be heard ringing throughout campus. While many people worked their summer away, challenged themselves with summer classes, traveled or just hung out with friends and family, most people do their absolute best to make the most of the precious three months between school years.

For one student at Winona State, her summer was devoted to serving others in need on a different continent.

Ashley Murphy, a major in special education and minor in child advocacy, has spent 16 weeks over the past two consecutive summers in Uganda, Africa.

Murphy has worked with an organization called Kyampisi Childcare Ministries (KCM) whose mission is to help children get out of oppressive situations such as child sacrifice, accusations of witchcraft and branding, poverty and disease.

Murphy’s ten weeks in Uganda were spent working as part of a team in an office to handle cases of child sacrifice. Unfortunately, only one victim survived out of the four cases she participated.

Her time was also divided between office life and visiting the village. Murphy’s routine often varied daily but had a fair balance of consistency.

“I would wake up, go to the office, start with a devotion and decide what we were doing that day: going to the village, work with a child sacrifice case, or office work,” Murphy said. “Every once in awhile I took a free day.”

When asked about her favorite part of this journey, Murphy explains the highlight was the love that was shared through the group.

“Everyone is so focused and just loves you. They love on each other and they are so people-oriented and will give everything they have, even when they have nothing,” Murphy said.

“At the school I work at, there are about 280 kids. Every day I would go to school and kids would just start running to my car. It’s the most precious thing ever. You think you’re there to make a difference in their lives, but really, they’re making more of a difference in yours,” Murphy said.

After graduating, Murphy hopes to live in Uganda for at least a year.

“I’m going back because I fell in love with the country and its people,” Murphy said. “I really noticed that special education isn’t part of their culture. Individuals with special needs are pushed to the sides and often forgotten about. Having a sister with disabilities, this really hit home for me.” She said she would love to be part of a movement to help open a school for individuals with disabilities in Uganda.

Murphy is already on her way to progress. An important part of Murphy’s work came through the construction of a school that she helped fundraise prior to leaving the U.S. Once the money was raised and with the help of Ugandan locals and an Australian architect, the foundation was built.

Murphy will continue fundraising on behalf of the new school’s progress.