I have been walking around with two quotes in my head:
“You must do the thing you think you cannot do. Every time you are
scared and do that thing anyway, you will gain strength, courage and self
confidence.”
-Unknown
“Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live
with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks
of possibility into flames of achievement.”
-Golda
Meir
Being in Uganda is, besides being born into a
wonderful family, the greatest gift I have ever received. It has given me time, space and experiences
to help me evaluate what is important in life. I once asked my Stepmother Kim what
she would do if she won the lottery and she told me something I never forgot, “I
would work in an orphanage and then decide what was really important in life
before I spent anything.” In Uganda I have had the wonderful opportunity to
volunteer in an orphanage, to live in a rural village where many people survive
on less than $2 a day, walk up to 20km to gather contaminated water and where
formal education is at a premium. Never again will I think the same as I did
before this trip.
I have been here for about 2.5 months now and can feel growth in my self-worth, goals, and personality and a lowering in my stress levels daily. How odd it is, to be surrounded by low economic standards and human suffering but to be so much more at peace than I ever was in Canada with healthcare and instant internet at my fingertips. I share more, I go out of my way to greet people and genuinely care how they are, I value different types of education and experiences, sustainable living, have changed my university major and applied for another program in sustainable development, I place higher importance on keeping in touch with family and welcoming new people into my community, I even value different things in male partners and am excited, instead of stagnant, in my thoughts about the future.
For the first time I have role models; the local staff here all have very diverse academic backgrounds in social work, computer science, business and philosophy and serve as a constant positive influence on my desire to finish my university education, even if it is not my Midwifery in Health Sciences Degree. My grandmother always told me that everything happens for a reason and I see signs everyday that I am meant to be here. At the 2.5 month check in, I feel open to change and cannot wait to discover what lessons are next.
I have been here for about 2.5 months now and can feel growth in my self-worth, goals, and personality and a lowering in my stress levels daily. How odd it is, to be surrounded by low economic standards and human suffering but to be so much more at peace than I ever was in Canada with healthcare and instant internet at my fingertips. I share more, I go out of my way to greet people and genuinely care how they are, I value different types of education and experiences, sustainable living, have changed my university major and applied for another program in sustainable development, I place higher importance on keeping in touch with family and welcoming new people into my community, I even value different things in male partners and am excited, instead of stagnant, in my thoughts about the future.
For the first time I have role models; the local staff here all have very diverse academic backgrounds in social work, computer science, business and philosophy and serve as a constant positive influence on my desire to finish my university education, even if it is not my Midwifery in Health Sciences Degree. My grandmother always told me that everything happens for a reason and I see signs everyday that I am meant to be here. At the 2.5 month check in, I feel open to change and cannot wait to discover what lessons are next.
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