MY FIRST TWO WEEKS VOLUNTEERING WITH LOVE UGANDA FOUNDATION.

After a whole day of traveling, we arrive at Entebbe International Airport. It was 4 a.m. we were absolutely tired, hungry, but most of all, scared. We were going to the uncertainty. Okay, we had been talking with Namutebi on the phone, but could we be sure that everything was going to be fine? Although we trusted in them enough for coming all over the world to their house, we had our doubts and fears as normal.

Just when we exited the plane, and we got to the visa queue, the lights turned off, they came back, and turned off again like 3 times. My young brother asked me, -what was happening? – I had no idea.  After the visa checking, and taking our luggage we went out of the airport. There she was, the only familiar face in the whole airport, and next to her, his husband, Robert, about whom we didn’t know about, but suddenly became our brother, as he called us. They received us, and we moved to their car. I remembered being so nervous that it was difficult for me to understand them and communicate. We started talking about the trip, how we were feeling, and various topics, when, all of a sudden, the car stopped. My brother was sleepy, but I was so excited that I couldn’t even think about sleeping.

We stopped in a market which was referred to as Kalerwe Market a long Gayaza Road, it was 5:30a.m, but the activity there, made me wonder if it really was that late. Once our hosts left the car, I started paying attention to every person moving around the car. It was really different from what we were used to, and it looked like a movie. Some minutes later, we resumed our ride. We continued talking and little by little breaking the ice. We learned our first word in Luganda, “Boda Boda”. After some time, we stopped seeing big buildings and a lot of cars, and we started seeing just nature. I was amazed.

Sometime later, when the sun was already out, we arrived at what was going to be our home for the next month. They received us with a welcoming breakfast, and there, we tried what was going to be our ever tastiest pleasure, the juice.
After that, we went to sleep, way more calmed, but still with that insecurity inside us, that little by little was disappearing.

The next days, we were moving around the town discovering incredible landscapes, learning about fruits, and local traditions. For us, it was really interesting how the little kids were staring at us and calling us “Muzungus” hahaha!!!, wherever we were going. We also started tasting some traditional dishes, which we loved, such as chapati (similar to creeps, but with more taste), matoke, and different sauces made of vegetables.

Some days later, we finally went to the Love Uganda Foundation home. I remembered seeing all of those smiles and being so happy but at the same time so nervous that it was difficult to maintain my smile. I’ve been wanting to be there for so much that now that I was there, I couldn’t believe it, but after some minutes, everything changed. They started dancing, and soon, they invited us to dance with them. I couldn’t imagine a better welcome. We all together started laughing, singing, teaching new movements, and building what was going to be a life-changing experience.

Volunteer with Love Uganda Foundation

Since that day, we’ve been going there every day, and I’ve felt every day, that I was more and more connected and attached to this kids, Their honest smile, their willingness to learn and also to teach, their contagious energy for doing every task needed, their eagerness to share everything, the amount of love that they have for each other and for us, even that they didn’t know us one week ago, it just feels, astonishing.

I love every moment I spend at Love Uganda Foundation home.

JORGE LOPEZ MONTERO