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do so. By wanting to be like the west, Uganda has begun to abandon the traditions and institutions that have
served it so well in the past, such as communal living and elder leadership.
My observations about the differences between the society I was most familiar with and Uganda caused me
to realize something quite fundamental about development that I’ve taken for granted in my academic studies.
When we talk about development, we are not talking about some objective, penultimate measure of whether
a society is successful or not. Instead, development amounts to the gradual imposition of the west’s model of
what a successful society looks like onto countries such as Uganda. It is, to be perfectly frank, a form of neo-
colonialism. Development may be justified, it may meet tremendous need within countries such as Uganda,
and it may be precisely what the people of Uganda aspire to. Even so, I now believe that it is critically impor-
tant to recognize development for what it is and treat the subject with a great deal of caution and thoughtful-
ness.
Yet, in the face of the overwhelming suffering so many in Uganda face, how can I deny the value of a pro-
cess that will enhance the quality of life for Ugandan’s particularly when countries like mine are culpable for
the legacy of colonial exploitation that caused this suffering in the first place? Over the course of this trip the
conclusion that I’ve reached is that we as “Westerners” have to focus on areas of development that are most
fundamental to the wellbeing of Ugandans while encouraging Ugandans to determine for themselves their
future. It seems to me that these fundamental areas of development are healthcare and education. Helping
Ugandans improve their health outcomes and achieve greater food security is fundamental because it does not
give foreign aid workers much room to impose our own values on or appropriate the experience of Ugandans.
What is necessary to provide good health outcomes is universal to all humans and forms the basis of our qual-
ity of life. In the same way, emphasizing education will empower the people of developing countries and grant
them more autonomy both on an individual and societal level to determine their own future.
I began to think about these questions during the first week of the trip, mainly while driving around the
country side and spending several days in Kampala. Much of what I had been idly musing about through-
out the first week of the trip was then powerfully demonstrated to me by Nicole and her work in the village
we taught in. Before arriving at the school, I had never once considered who started it and why. As a result,
Nicole’s presence on the farm came as a bit of a surprise for me. Here was a woman who was doing the kind of
work I wanted to do, largely on her own, without the help of a powerful non-profit or the proper credentials.
The more I learned about her work, the more impressed I became. She was focused on healthcare and educa-
tion. She was focused on empowering the community by giving them autonomy over the organization of the
school and clinic through the formation of various committees made up by members of the community rather
than imposing her own vision and solutions. She primarily provides capital, financing, and awareness to the
project in the United States. I was also very impressed with her willingness to collaborate with Ugandans to-
wards a common goal at the school, the clinic, and in the community. That level of collaboration is incredibly
important to showing goodwill and building trust with local partners whose support is critical to achieving
any real progress.
The opportunity to survey Nicole’s work was an unexpected surprise for me on this trip and was really valu-
able for me because of my academic background and career interests. Nicole provided a very good model of
how foreign service on behalf of a community should be done. She is making a real and valuable difference
in the lives of hundreds of children and adults and she is doing it as a member of this community, not as an
outsider or as someone who leaves and moves on to other projects after a short period of time.
By the end of the trip I was incredibly attached to my students and friends from Uganda. This trip showed
me how fast you can form relationships with other human beings, even when you are separated by language
and culture. It emphasized for me that there is something common that we all share and that connects every
human being, regardless of where we come from or who we are. There was one moment when we went with
Nicholas, our translator and friend, into the village that stands out to me. As soon as we reached the more
populous areas of the village, the children flocked around us. We danced with them. Sydney bought a soccer
ball and started playing a spontaneous game with the kids. All of the adults watched us like we were crazy, and
maybe we seemed that way. But we managed to contribute a small glimmer of happiness to these children’s
lives in that moment. As we left the village, they followed us all the way back to the main road. I think that was
my happiest moment of the trip. It was the first time we had been able to move freely through a Ugandan vil-
lage. Even though I was slightly unnerved by all of the attention we were receiving, I also felt and indescribable
feeling of connectedness to the people in that village, and especially to the children. It was a truly powerful
and joyful feeling for me.
I also grew emotionally invested in the students as we entered the final week. Learning that Martha’s dad
was an alcoholic or that Isaac’s family didn’t have enough money to pay for his tuition and education, yet
seeing how bright and enthusiastic about learning they, and so many of the other students, truly were was so
hard for me. Isaac in particular made an impact on me. One night, as we were sitting around the fire waiting
on dinner, Isaac began to share with me the details of his life. He told me about some of the familial prob-