Uganda Trip: A Beautiful Dream

People often ask me, “How was Uganda?”. And I have to stop for a moment before answering because Uganda felt like a beautiful dream. I couldn’t really believe I would actually go to Uganda when we started fundraising last year. Now that we have come back, I still can’t believe it happened.

One of the people who gave a speech at a Tailoring Graduation event we had attended had touched upon an important point. And I would like to start there. He had said, “You don’t know these women you are helping, nor do they know you. Then what brings you here?”. His answer to that question was kindness and being a good person.

But truly, why were we there?

In our modern life, giving charity, just like many other things, has become cold and automated. It’s very easy to press a button on a screen and see the numbers on your bank account go down. This doesn’t really reflect what people on the receiving end experience and loses its potential to make us better people, to motivate us to do more. We often hear from the media about the tragedies of the world. Instead of listening to such news, feeling sympathy and carrying on with our lives, we should aim to feel empathy and take action to make a difference in any way we can.

That is what this trip to Uganda helped us achieve.

First, we came together around a common goal- fundraising for Uganda. We hoped to make an impact on three areas in particular. Providing clean water to villages, sanitary pads to young women, and vocational training to those in need.

And then, after a lot of fundraising events, school visits and individual effort, it was time to pack for Uganda!

During our one-week stay in Uganda, we visited orphanages and schools, distributed food, gave out sanitary pads, attended the Tailors’ graduation ceremony, and water well opening in two villages. We also had so many fun activities, such as making aprons with the women at Tailoring Hub, rafting, touring Lake Victoria and visiting the Equator. We got to connect with local people and, to some extent, see life from their perspectives.

Whilst making the apron, I got to ask the lady who was teaching me questions about her dreams and life in Uganda. I learned a lot about the different aspects of Ugandan culture and realised humans are so similar at the core, even when separated by continents.

During our visit to an orphanage, I met a girl who dreamed of becoming a lawyer and helping out her community. When we first got to the orphanage, I had wondered whether our visit would really make a difference, but she mentioned something that removed all doubt from my mind. She said that when people come and visit, when they see that there are people out there who care, it gives them hope and allows them to push through the difficult times. Just the fact that we were there was enough for them.

It was amazing to see that you can actually make a positive impact in the world. To meet people whom you had helped and to see the change in their lives with your own eyes. To feel the warmth of their smiles.