Hello/Goodbye from Maddy

I’ve definitely put on underwear in front of more people in these past two weeks than I have in my entire life, but I’m just glad I haven’t fallen over yet. Presenting about the kits and about sexual health has been a huge learning experience for me, which I am so grateful for!

I think the team had a bit too much fun on safari (what happens at Paraa stays at Paraa)…but Linda and I went for a walk the other day and saw a monkey, so who’s really winning?? We had a pretty quiet weekend; on Friday we went to the Lugogo mall and had lunch. When we got home I jumped rope for a while and am still QUITE sore, so I’m not sure what’s going on. Yesterday we went to visit Sally at her home in Busega, where we were warmly welcomed by her and her family, as well as by the many visitors that came and went. “You receive more when your door is always open”, she said with a laugh. Sally has a long history of housing and mentoring young people that need a place to stay. It was really interesting talking to her about the complex issues that Ugandans face because she is such a wealth of knowledge; Linda and I were trying to soak up every word she was saying.

Tomorrow evening, Jenaya, Jean, and I are heading back to Kelowna! It seems much too soon to leave, but I am so grateful that I got to have the experience of being in Uganda again. It is truly heartwarming to see old friends again and to meet new ones, and I also feel like it was really valuable for me to go outside my comfort zone to teach these presentations. It is so important to empower these girls who have so much potential that are put at a disadvantage just because of the situation they were born into.

So, a big thank you to ISEE and good luck to the team as they continue killin’ it for one more week! It’s been a pleasure, and of course I’ll be back.

Love, Maddy