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Jeff Smith writes...

...about his experience while volunteering in Uganda.

4 May 2005
Just quit my job and headed north to my parents home in Albuquerque, New Mexico to get stuff altogether when i leave on May 12th for Uganda. It's been a lot colder up here i can't wait to get burned by that African sun.
I went to see the movie "A Closer Walk" which is about HIV/AIDS in the world, but most of it seemed to be shot in Uganda, which was amazing because that's where i'm headed. The film made me so sad but also gave me a boost for the six months i will spending in Uganda. If i can just help ease one persons suffering or just do one thing, that's what i want. I hate suffering, i want it gone. The people there look so beautiful. So anyways I just wanted to start this first journal as i'm about to leave.

20 May 2005
Here I am,
Holy cow I cannot believe I am in Africa, the place I�ve dreamed of being my whole life.
I have not had a bad moment here yet, except for a slight sickness, which is just adjusting to the climate I�m sure.
Frank, one of the friendliest African men alive picked me up from Entebbe Airport and I stayed the night at his hostel. We stayed up late into the night speaking and exchanging facts about our cultures. In the morning Leslie came to get me, and we found out that she is good friends with the brothers of who I consider my Canadian brother, Dan. We both could not believe this.
Frank and I spent the morning walking around his grounds as he explained to me all the different plants and flowers, everything that grows that I�ve never seen before.
From here I headed to the village of Ntenjeru, my home for the next six months. I love it beyond any words of any language. I have never felt happier in my life then I have being here in Uganda. Festus is in charge of VOLSET, he was once a street child himself and now wants to help them and to help the HIV/AIDS pandemic as well as building a clinic and a vocational school.
He and the girls, who are so kind and wonderful, are teaching me the culture and how to speak in Lugandan, which is a beautiful language to speak.
I was honored to be able to go to a meeting with people who are all HIV/AIDS positive where they were being taught how to prevent the spreading of it and that people of are positive are just as good and valuable as those who are not positive. I gave a small speech to them letting them know they are loved by us in America, and that I am here because I love them and want to help them. As we spoke rain poured and leaked through the roof of this humble little room of amazing people.
These representatives will in turn go back to their parts of Uganda and spread the information they have learned at the meeting. Many of them were still of the understanding that their sickness is because of witchcraft.
Festus showed me all around Kampala and introduced me to many people who are helping to move the HIV/AIDS work forward. What wonderful human beings who want to make a difference.
Even though there is so much trouble in this country I feel hope, I feel that these problems and get better.
Again, I love my village, I love my little path to the home I�m living in.
The girls took me to the community well to get water, and I learned all about how the banana trees produce. Amazing is not good enough of a word to describe how I feel about being here now.
The food is the best I�ve ever tasted, the girls are also teaching me how to cook it.
That�s about all for now, if you�ve ever thought of coming to Uganda, come, you will not be disappointed. There is much sadness but there is much hope.