The Real Uganda- The Real Grassroots Experience

My time in Uganda was life changing. I have an overabundance of stories of my time in Uganda, and cannot talk about my time there enough. The Real Uganda is an amazing program that offers outstanding opportunities for both Ugandans and volunteers.

If you choose to let this experience continue it never really ends. I still keep in touch with the director of the project I worked at,Tony, through Whatsapp every week. I graduated two weeks after I left Uganda, in June, and I had let Tony know the date. He made the effort to call me while in one of the villages with the women's group I worked with, and the women sang me a cultural song in congratulations. It totally blew me away, although it didn't surprise me at all because that's just how amazing those people are. There was also one time when he was at home at the compound, where I also lived while there, and he put the kids that live there on the phone (which totally made me bawl my eyes out). It could barely be considered a conversation because of their limited English and my limited Luganda, but we just kept saying the same words over and over because we were so excited to speak to each other. For me, these two things totally reinforced everything about my experience and the relationships I formed there.

The director of The Real Uganda was a source of endless knowledge and helpful information for me. She provided me with fantastic resources for planning tourist excursions on weekends, and helped me learn how to navigate and better understand the Ugandan culture. We discussed how to work from the ground up, and not be just another person with a "white Saviour complex". She helped me in a way that made this an optimal experience for me and the people I worked with. I could not be happier with my experience with The Real Uganda, and I cannot wait to be back- I am already planning my next trip.