I was finally heading to Uganda. I had been supporting an orphan school there for the past three years, by doing organising fundraising events for them with my small NGO in London and by recruiting volunteers for them. Hours of conversations, development plans and work had gone into the project, yet I had not seen it all with my own eyes. I reflected on all this, as I sat on the plane of Egypt Air, crossing the Saharan desert, heading towards my destination.
Uganda as a country has a turbulent history. After being colonized by Great Britain, rulers changes recently and the country was plagued by political problems. Election violence, conflict with neighbouring countries, dictatorship and corruption have been frequent features of the society. Poverty, famine and illnesses spreading around the country also touch the lives of millions.
There are many, many orphaned children in the country. Due to the various health and welfare issues, the life expectancy for adults is not much more than 50 years. Many children live with their relatives, family friends and at orphanages. This is why there were several international organizations and foreign workers helping the country to overcome their problems and to help those who suffered in their circumstances.
I closed my eyes as the plane started to descend. I could picture the smiles on the faces of all the children that I was soon to see.
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