In late August, a group of supporters traveled with THRIVE to Gulu, Uganda. It was the first time for Greg, Nate and Kurt. They shared with us some of their thoughts and experiences.
“I was surprised by the friendliness and openness of the people, and how welcoming they were. THRIVE has advised the women’s groups on financial issues, taught them how to save money and create loan programs. I didn’t realized how intertwined the women’s groups were within the community.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the quality and diversity of their food. I had a lot of preconceived notions before traveling to Uganda, such as it would be difficult to eat anything, it would be dangerous, and the conditions would cause me to get ill. None of it proved to be true.
Since visiting Uganda, I have a better appreciation for the quality of life that I have in the United States. It is important to not take it for granted. I will appreciate my lifestyle much more and won’t get discouraged so easily. I gained a few new friends that I didn’t expect would happen. I am very supportive of THRIVE’s initiative in furthering computer literacy for the people there. This is one of the best ways to pull them out of poverty, and into the workforce.” -Greg
“What surprised me most about Uganda was how warm and welcoming the people are. Also how so many of the people seem to be completely comfortable and grateful for the simple life, a life that many people in the United States would consider to be unbearable conditions. People are happy and grateful for the little that they do have considering what they’ve been through.
One of my favorite experiences was the first visit to Uplift Women’s Group. I was overwhelmed with the welcome and sense of gratitude and rejoicing that they had with us coming. The dancing and the singing is a tradition that people in the United States don’t have – it was very moving. I could have watched them dance and sing for hours. It is a very special and warm feeling. I felt like a part of their home in the village.
Even though I have heard so much about it, my views of Uganda have changed. I had this picture in my mind about visiting a developing country. Perhaps that people need to be taught to help, but the people are quite capable and educated. It is just the circumstances they are born into. I feel like I made friends and was introduced to people, mainly the THRIVE staff taught me what it means to commit to helping people.” -Nate
“The women’s groups were so welcoming. The women felt responsible to each other and they included men as well. THRIVE is part of the community not just an outsider. The women’s groups respect THRIVE and welcome what they do. It felt more like a community than an organization.
I didn’t have previous views of Uganda before I visited. But after experiencing Uganda, it showed me that no matter how different people are, we can all relate to each other on basic levels. Even though they have been through a lot, their spirits weren’t broken and they could still find happiness in life. It gave me a sense of the world outside of my neighborhood. Visiting Gulu taught me many things that I otherwise wouldn’t have found out unless I participated in the trip.”-Kurt
By Laura McBride
