Reach Out, Mbuya. Reach Out!

   
    My first reaction: tears. Tears not of sadness or of pain, but of overwhelming joy. It is funny how one word, one name, can have such an effect on a person. Uganda -- that is all it took to satisfy months of waiting, months of sleepless nights. Finally I know what it is I have been stressing over, vigorously reading for, and pumping my body with redbulls for, over the last couple months. It is with this word that I shed some of the earlier doubts I may have had about this experience being the right one for me.
    When I received the email regarding my placement, it took so much effort not to rapidly scroll to the bottom to read the long awaited news. I held my bearings, just in case my negative feelings were right, and I would have to prepare myself for adjusting my expectations. Although all the countries available --Ukraine, Dominican Republic, Kenya, Uganda, India, Peru-- would have been extremely rewarding, my heart was set on two. When I saw “you will be going to the Reach Out Mbuya in Mbuya, Uganda”, I definitely had a little solitary dance party in my sisters living room. After sitting in shock and mildly hyperventilating for a couple minutes, that is. I got one of my choices!
    I am very excited to work with Reach Out Mbuya, a faith-based non-government  organization in south-eastern Africa that helps the poor, urban victims of HIV/AIDS deal with their day to day struggles. Not only does this organization work towards prolonging their lives as long as possible, their holistic approach to healing is very inspiring. They not only deal with the physical pains of living with the disease, but also work to nourish the mind, body, and soul of a population that has lost hope in their lives.
    I am not naive to the fact that I will not make a huge change in the large scheme of things in a time span of three months down there, but I will fight with all my heart for all those who are suffering, for all those who simply need someone to be there through it all. I recognize that this experience will open doors that I may never have wanted open. Doors that many people distance themselves from because they hide certain truths that distress them, and make them question the state of the world they live in. But it is about time that those doors were opened, that the secret struggles of a population are revealed. It is only when we open our eyes to the pain of others that we can learn to connect with those different from ourselves. And who knows, maybe learn that despite it all, we are not as different as we originally thought.
    Although I will have to face many challenges and heart wrenching situations in Uganda, I hope that through it all I can learn and grow as a person, see things in another light, and appreciate everything I have been given in life so much more. I have a feeling that this experience will change my life forever. There is no turning back now. Uganda here I come!
  
    If you are interested in what this wonderful organization is doing, and would like to learn more: http://www.reachoutmbuya.org/index.php