Shortly after falling completely in love with Uganda the
middle of my last year there, I began getting thoughts of sticking around.
December was approaching way faster than I had anticipated and I knew I was not
ready to say any final goodbyes to this beautiful country, my new home. I guess
I wanted to get back the time that I had lost in the beginning of my service
when I was going through culture shock and wanted to leave so badly. I was
proud of myself for reaching a place of contentment and joy, after being in
such a place of anxiety and confusion.
So in September I began talking to a few people in the office about the
idea of me extending for a few months. It just made so much sense. I would not
get into a classroom in the United States until September, so what was I going
to do for 7 months? Why not use them productively and happily in Uganda. And
that is what we planned out. My ticket to staying was going to be working with
a team to design a series of regional youth trainings to take place for
Volunteers, adults, and youth in their communities across the entire country. I
was going to be able to take my experience with PYE and actually use it.
Empowerment! After coming up with some final details, it felt so perfect and
too good to be true; but it wasn’t!
It was decided that I would move to Kampala, that capital,
and work from the Peace Corps office. I would be working directly with
Phylicia, a stellar human being with whom I share so much in common in regards
to philosophy, work ethic, and commitment to service. Our brains and hearts
were instantly linked on this project from the start. It was going to be great.
We teamed up with some other fabulous and creative Volunteers and began to
dream our biggest dreams for Youth Empowerment in Uganda. The coolest part was
that the ideas we were coming up with constantly changed and evolved. The more
people we spoke with the better it got. But we all stuck to our core values and
mission of making this project truly sustainable, by having it be Ugandan
driven. Our key partners,
creators, designers, and implementers were Ugandan men and women who do this
work for a living. We were really just there to create a space and link
networks together. I think what made this project so successful was its
integrity: it was about empowerment and everyone who participated was being
empowered at every stage of its development. I had so much fun meeting dozens
of influential and truly inspiring people from around the country, trading
ideas. I was also spending all my time in the city and really getting back into
a solid working vibe and fun after work routines. I loved life.
It is really hard to capture everything that went into this
project. The hours, the weekends that were spent hole punching and collating,
the ridiculous laughing at nothing, and the tears from how excited we
were. I gained such a newfound
respect for the team of people in the Peace Corps office; they work so hard
every day and care so much about Volunteers, but barely get noticed. I also
gained a ton of great skills in project and training management. By the time
our most crucial element arrived, the Training of Trainers, we were on Cloud 9.
It was here that we realized for the first time what we had created. We brought
together nearly 70 experts in various fields who would lead 90% of the training
material and exercises in our four regional trainings. And in one week, we
taught them about youth empowerment models, how to facilitate a session with
activities and not lectures or presentations, and how to create a space where
youth can feel heard and have fun at the same time. And they killed it! In that
week there was more growth than I have ever seen from a group of participants
in that amount of time. We truly had the right people. This was going to be
epic.
It was a whirlwind of work and meetings and phone calls to
put out fires until the four back-to-back trainings were on us. But eventually
they came and we went into autopilot. Our work in training and planning was
mostly over. Now we had to give up a good amount of control and let things
happen, let our newly trained facilitators feel empowered and make the impact
they so desperately wanted to make for their country. It was the most beautiful
and inspiring series of events I have ever been a part of. I could probably
write a novel just on all the experiences and events that happened at each
training, but to sum it up I can just say we accomplished our goal of
empowering people in a sustainable way at every level. Youth came out of their
shells, teachers denounced corporal punishment and stigma of HIV, facilitators
opened up to new ideas, and some of our youngest facilitators went from being
shy, barely audible speakers to leaders in their own sessions that could truly
deliver activities and information that left everyone informed and excited. The
traveling circus of around 30 core facilitators that went to every training (close
to 30 days straight) became something so strong and so liberated, we became a
family. “Right here, right now, we found our community,” was truly our anthem.
I learned so much in those last few months of my service and they forever left
an impression with me about development, Uganda, and humanity. No matter what
the circumstances, the environment, the resources, level of knowledge, or
assumptions of you that other people will make, when someone is passionate
about something they are unstoppable. And when enough passionate people get
together, change can and does happen. I don’t know how much of an impact I made
during my service in Uganda. But during this last project I am completely
confidant that I was part of something truly magical and truly influential. The
key was that I was not trying to do anything on my own, to be a champion or a
hero. I was working alongside people who were much smarter and more creative
than me, with just as much love and passion, and together we were able to make
a difference.
Having to leave Uganda was one of the hardest things I have
ever had to do. Those last few days were like a daze to me. I recalled what I
was like when I was saying goodbye to my US home on my way to Uganda, crying
non-stop and just feeling like I only half existed. The fact that I was having
those same feelings for a country I did not grow up in really touched my heart
and I can truly say I am very proud of myself for it. I have a family and a
home in Uganda and I know for certain that I will be back at some point. I love
you Uganda, I love you Peace Corps. Thank you for everything you have taught
and given me. I went into this journey a kid, hoping to change the world and
maybe learn a few things along the way. I came out an adult, knowing myself a
little better, having learned more than I could possible have imagined about
the world, and completely changed for good. I am now, finally, ready for my
life. I am now ready to move into the next stage, take what I learned, apply
it, and make a difference in my new community. Maybe I should rename my blog
now that it is over. “The Adventure of a Lifetime;” it certainly was an
adventure, but now it seems like my lifetime is THE adventure. And I am just
getting started living it!
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