Hold on tight! Unpaved road ahead…

Originally written August 25, 2024

I could fill page after page with millions of memories from my month in Uganda, each one offering an invaluable lesson I now carry with me today. I could tell you about every person, place, sight, and sound that jump-started and recharged my curiosity about the world. But I’d like to share one memory, one lesson, that I believe means just a little bit more than the rest.

This past July, I ate, slept, worked, and lived in Uganda’s Butambala District. Traveling alone through one of the country’s poorest regions, I was amidst a harsh reality we often observe from a distance in the comfort of our homes. Except, this time, I found myself in the thick of it all, dressed in a bright red jumpsuit, climbing on roofs and stripping wires.

Stepping further into discomfort than ever before with no filters to shield my senses, I nearly reached my breaking point. Struggling to understand and relate to the hardship and suffering surrounding me, I became overwhelmed by a burning desire to fix it all. Driving through the villages on foggy Ugandan mornings while clinging to the back of a motorcycle, my mind would often slip away in between the short stretches of smooth dirt road. In these moments of silence, amidst the chaos, I searched for solutions to a seemingly infinite number of challenges facing the people around me. How could I possibly fix it all?

As I reflect on all those morning motorcycle rides through the jungle, I realize the answer I was searching for was right in front of me the entire time. Printed on the front of my bright red uniform were three words: ALL WE ARE.

My time in Uganda taught me — the hard way — that I alone will never be able to fix what’s broken in our world. Not because I don’t care enough or because I don’t have the necessary skills, but because such a task is not intended for I. Such a job is meant for We.

All We Are is a constant reminder of this truth. No single person is responsible for improving primary and secondary school graduation rates, making clean, affordable energy more accessible, and re-establishing hope in countless communities. Such an impact is the result of We.

We is the fuel that feeds my fire, We is the answer that brings me peace, and We is the vision that gives me hope.

Dear Uganda,

I’ll be back. Only next time, I won’t be alone.