There’s something about stepping off that plane that I will never forget…the warm air hitting my face; the smell of a charcoal fire burning from a nearby home; the relief of arriving after a long journey; the feeling of familiarity; and the joyful sense of arriving home. People often ask, "How long is the trip to Uganda?" But while it is a long journey, that is never what I remember about the trip. It is the smiles...the people...the memories of being in a place that feels familiar, a place where I feel at home.
Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong and yet known that there is nowhere you belong more? When you look around, you see that you are right where you are supposed to be, and yet something inside you longs to be elsewhere. I have lived the last 10 years of my life in this paradox, belonging and yet still longing. You see, living with one foot in the western world and the other in Sub-Saharan Africa is a gift, but it is also the hardest thing I have ever done.
Bet you don't know these 10 things about BOH in Uganda! Why do students shave their heads? What are the villages like? Where does US staff stay? Find out here! Area Size: WOCAP, our Ugandan partner organization began in one village, Namagera. Since then, WOCAP expanded to include women from two others, Bubugo and Nakulkwe (but BOH's Uganda office is still proudly located on Namagera’s main road)! These villages have people dispersed throughout wide rural areas and could include a few thousand people.ABOVE: BOH's sign on the main road in Namagera. BSSP Coach Emmanuel painted it himself! US Staff Visits: While in Uganda, we stay in a room next to Cathie, WOCAP founder & current Uganda BSSP Adviser. We enjoy sharing meals, watching soap operas,...
