This month, our leadership team went on a week-long adventure across Uganda to learn from organizations that are doing similar work through community development. It was an incredible experience, meeting passionate leaders, all with the same ultimate goal of seeing a greater Uganda. We visited nine organizations and send a HUGE thank you to the people who made the experience possible! Thank you to all of our host organizations for being so welcoming, humble, and open to teaching! Here are a few of our highlights/greatest memories as we journeyed by bus across the country:
- Mouths dropped as we walked around Amazima Ministries and saw the incredible infrastructure and amount of thought that went into EVERY detail of The Amazima School. Who would have thought that you could build a shed 3 times to ensure that it is perfect?? Amazima=Amazing.
- Meeting some of the graduates of Kabubbu/ Quicken Trust and African Renewal Ministries (ARM)… It was amazing to see the fruits of their labor! ARM’s professionalism and the enormity of their impact were also SO inspiring. We aspire to be like them in ten years from now!
- Sitting around the table with New Hope, Uganda’s Co-Founder, Jonnes. What an incredible leader, pastor, motivational speaker! We also cannot forget spending the night dormitory style, giving our team flashbacks to boarding school in Uganda!
- Touring the 4,000+ acres of Cornerstone in Nakasongola. Cornerstone Leadership Academy is one of the top Senior 5 and 6 schools in the country. Their focus on teacher-student relationship is what makes them SO successful!
- The incredible hospitality of Change a Life, Uganda and learning how they partner with the government to improve education in the community!
- Our late night worship service on the bus on the long journey to Mbarara led by Annet, our Head of Skills! She is full of hidden talents!!!!
- Getting lost on the way to Kanungu on narrow roads that were aligned with terrifying cliffs. Once we finally reached what seemed like the middle of nowhere, Nyaka Aids Project blew us away! We were especially awestruck by the technology and robotics department at their high school. Robots+Computers+the ruralist village in Uganda= ANYTHING is possible. It was also fun dancing with the ladies from their Grandmothers Project!
- Getting lost AGAIN on the way to another extremely rural project, Peer Link! Although our visit was short because we were SO late, it was amazing to see such a community-centered project!
- Taking a boat on Lake Bunyonyi to get to Global Livingston. Some of our team members had never been on a boat before- They were a little scared, but oh so excited! We can’t forget the amazing photo-shoot on the lake, organized by our Health Admin, Carol.
- Rushing to the gate of Lake Mburu for a safari after having car trouble and getting there thirty minutes before sun-down. Although we didn’t actually get to go IN the park, the team was thrilled to take a “peek” as we drove to the gate. We saw zebras, antelope, and more zebras.
- Being tourists at the equator and learning how water changes direction from North to South hemispheres!
Besides the overarching theme of a lot of laughter and team bonding, “copy, edit, and paste” became the tune of the trip. How humbling it was to see where our projects need improvement, while also seeing where we are excelling! We look forward to using everything we learned to SHINE brighter in Iganga, and yes, we will laugh along the way!
