Going to Uganda!

This is my sponsor child, Rebecca Atuheire, standing in front of her school, CUS. I have been sponsoring Rebecca for a little over 2 years, when my Mom first paid for a year of her schooling as a Christmas gift to me in 2008. Ever since then I have felt a strong connection with Rebecca. She is so smart and has grown up so fast, and every letter she writes me, she asks when I will come and meet her.

I am excited to write her and let her know that I am coming!! (Yes, I cannot get through even a month without planning my next trip. I am also working on planning my next next trip with Chris to Central America next Dec/Jan!!!)

I just booked my flight at $1620.95 to go to Uganda with my friend, Kate, who has been once before and who volunteers as the Sponsorship Coordinator for Rebecca's school, CUS. I will be gone from May 15-28 and am sooo excited. I always get nervous, right after paying for the flight, as it's a whole lot of money, but it always works out. I managed to do this when I was still in University, so it shouldn't be as big of a stress now that I am working and am able to put away more in my savings for the future, and have enough leftover, between work and Blogs for a Cause, to pay for the trip.

The two times I have been to Africa I have been travelling with a group, but I have learned that I much prefer to travel with one friend; planning my own schedule and doing my own thing. I am excited to see Africa in a way that I haven't experienced yet. Most of my time will be spent working with Christian Upliftment School; teaching, doing sponsorship updates, home visits, taking the kids on special field trips, etc. I am hoping to also get to spend a lot of time with my other sponsor child, Adongo Kate, pictured underneath Rebecca at the bottom.

Our main project will be Hope Home, the rescue house where Rebecca will be moving soon. Working with the girls to make them comfortable in their new home, and making sure they have everything they need and it is a smooth transition for them. Rebecca just finished up p7, the final year of primary school, and passed her high school entrance exam with great marks. So she is saying goodbye to CUS, and moving on to high school. I paid for her high school fees today, and she will be starting in February. Currently, she is the only CUS grad that has the funds to go to high school, so we will be working on setting up scholarships for the other kids so that they can join her. This is especially true for the girls of Hope Home who won't have parents to support their education, and who will rely completely on their sponsors and on some income generating projects that will be set up. We have high hopes that these girls will go through high school and then college and will be able to support their communities in the future.

Like I said, I want to experience as much of Uganda as possible, and being in a small group with just Kate and myself, it will be much easier to do this than in my past trips to Africa. I am researching a ton of cool things to do like gorilla safaris and bungee jumping in the Nile River!

Now, leading up to my trip, I am just working on getting as many blog designs as possible over at Blogs for a Cause so that I can pay for the trip without too much stress, and can continue support both Andrielis and Rebecca through their high school education.