An Inconvenient Truth

 “The trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk even more.”

                                                                                                -Erica Jong

Every few years I have the pleasure of meeting someone that I immediately connect with. Usually this person is a woman my age, but this time it was a man. A volunteer originally from New Zealand, David spent a week on a sustainable teaching farm in Uganda that is run by relatives of the Uganda Rural Fund. The farm is an agricultural training project deep in a village without taxis, bodaboda’s or running water, each trip to this area costs $20 in fuel and the use of a car. What struck me most about David was his passion for the world. He is currently in the middle of a 6 month world tour stretching from Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, to Uganda, England, India and beyond. I met him when he only had two days left in Uganda but he still managed to join us for a night of dancing at Ambiance Nightclub on a Sunday, a day of work Monday and give myself, Charles and Ben a tour of the farm, the new water sanitation project he helped install and 500 orange and mango trees.

 After trying to organize a visit Tuesday, which proved impossible due to delayed text messages, nightfall and transportation. He is scheduled to leave Wednesday night out of Entebbe, Uganda Airport. This inability to organize inexpensive transportation, easy communication and saying a permanent goodbye to international friends highlighted to me the many small inconveniences that people experience in Uganda. It also builds a maturity of knowing that each person has their own life adventure they must pursue, even if we will miss them. I am sure his trip will be full of many adventures and growing experiences and I wish him the best.