Giving back in Uganda

My late best friend Lindsay Hawley had dreamed of initiating a sustainable sewing program in Tijuana back in 2016 when we looked at sewing machines and materials as she excitedly talked to an organization down there about empowering the women currently living in the Tijuana dump. Burnt by yet another person that did not appreciate her efforts, The project was shelved, and Lindsay passed in 2017 before it was able to go anywhere. It was something incredibly close to her heart though, as she cared so much about giving women a sustainable opportunity to build their own future. So when I was contacted by a woman from Uganda later that year called “Angel” on behalf of her organization “Destiny Wings” via facebook, I was struck by the similarities in their missions and motivation. There was no doubt in my mind that was the project I wanted to promote. But after some time back and forth, I waited to talk to Angel via skype and hear their Village needs and suggestions. There is no coincidence when I tell you her 20 page pdf on a sewing program she already had prepared was sent soon after.

Next was to set a date and find the Give Backpackers team to come with me to Uganda. Having already met a philanthropic world traveller in my father's hometown spiritual store “The Zen room” next to my yoga studio when I went home between the South East Asia GBP adventure and moving to Vancouver, I knew Mikaila would be keen as that’s what we had bonded over when we met that fateful day. Fast forward a year and living in BC Canada, I met a videography duo Coleman and Josh at a cafe and we discussed giving back through our chosen medium of film. So when the moment arose and the opportunity presented itself, I invited the boys to come on board to film a documentary following our journey to Uganda, telling the story of Lindsay’s continued legacy with Give Backpackers creating change around the world, interviewing the women we met along the way and following Angel through her village and community that she is making such a positive impact on. Mikaila invited her younger brother Jacob as well for his first trip out of the continent, and so the GBP 2019 team was formed.

Coming back to California in October from living in Vancouver for 2 years and straight off wrapping a movie on mental health inspired by Lindsay, I dove into a fundraising campaign to hopefully raise the goal of $10,000. It was on Halloween night, when we were down to the wire with little time left and all resources expended (Facebook and Instagram had blocked us sharing the Go Fund Me campaign!) that a saving grace came in the form of a donor called “Pedro” -Lindsays rabbit, along with a picture of them at the beach- donated the remaining $7,000 we needed to hit and exceed our ambitious goal. Like a Halloween miracle on the night of Lindsay’s favorite holiday and annual Hawleyween fundraiser, we were blessed and set for our voyage to Africa.

After three flights and two days of travel, we arrived at the small and simple Kampala airport on a balmy evening in November 2019. We were greeted by Angel and the village crew who drove hours to warmly welcome us to their country, and I knew we were in good hands. After a bumpy and long ride to our guest house accommodations, past loud dance clubs and bustling street food stands, we arrived and looked at the barbed wire compound, knowing we were very far from home. The squatty potties and cold showers took some getting used to, and wifi was an amenity that was difficult to go without, but the charming hospitality and generous meals made up for what we lacked. As their first international guests, it was a learning experience for many of us. We took the next day to explore the city, my teammates got sim cards for their phones (I had to go completely disconnected as my phone was locked) we converted money and checked out the markets. Having made a new friend at the airport from the United Nations, we went to dinner with Lucy that evening at a beautiful Thai restaurant and Hookah lounge in the hills of Kololo. It was the perfect celebration to welcome us to the multicultural city, despite the brash treatment we noticed towards the restaurant staff.

The following day we ventured to Magoggo Village about an hour and a half from our accommodation outside the city, so we could finally meet the women and children we had heard so much about. They did not disappoint, and we were graced with a tour of their humble but flourishing school, given a delicious spread of local foods for lunch and taken on the back of motorbikes to the small mud brick home Angel grew up in with 12 children, 4 mothers and 1 father. She told us how hard it was growing up like that with everyone under the same roof, but her story of resilience and determination to make an independent life for herself, going to college and coming back to help lift her community from poverty (even starting a banking system they later demonstrated to us in a village presentation with the elders!) was so inspiring. They put on a dance for us, with the schoolkids showing off their choreographed moves to a borrowed solar powered speaker that sadly kept breaking down. It was a wonderful welcome though, and a gorgeous #GiveBackpackers cake was so deeply appreciated by our team. I was touched beyond measure, and I could feel Lindsay up there smiling proudly down on the real life earth Angel we had been graced with.

Over the course of two weeks, we filmed many village interviews and city adventures, visited schools and sponsored families we met along the way, mostly single mothers who were raising children infected with HIV or Malaria… it was heartbreaking to say the least. One little boy who always ran to greet us had suddenly become so tired and low energy, we were surprised how quickly he had changed. We found out that he had come down with Malaria, one of the world's most dangerous diseases that is easily spread by Mosquitoes, and the message of how badly these children needed help really hit home. We started posting about these stories and more donations poured in to help those in need with medical supplies and school fees, as most women could only make $1-$2 max a day, which barely covered food for the large families let alone the rest. Despite the hardship, I was blown away by how happy and full of joy these children were. More pleasant and friendly than any western kid i’ve ever met, it’s clear that the tough living conditions made them appreciate the little things -from a small red ball my sister donated so they could kick around something other than a ball of banana leaves, to a soft toy we would so easily discard that just lit up an AIDS afflicted child's face, we could see the ripple effect these simple offerings were having everywhere we went.

But it didn’t stop there. The mission at hand was to buy enough sewing machines and land so we could create a sustainable business and education model to empower women, provide uniforms for the school, sporting and dance teams, and a future for the young girls who often only see “producing” children as their only value to society. It was a success, and on November 11th we purchased 14 sewing machines in Kampala and a large plot of land in Magoggo village, the signing of the deed taking place in an elders countryside home under a bright moon surrounded by excited children and pigs running around. It was a magical moment we shall never forget. We enjoyed many more days with the kids, playing sports and having dance circles, taking them to the beach for the first time where they laughed and played all day. My team and I got to see the Ugandan wildlife in an animal sanctuary that rescues and rehabilitates native animals, including the majestic Grey Crowned Crane and White Rhino’s, followed by an emotional dinner talking about Lindsay and then the most ridiculous live performance theater show we had ever seen in our lives. It was truly a day for the books!

Despite the ups and downs, the rollercoaster of emotions and triggering moments as a woman (the toxic masculinity was real. We even almost lost a camera to a traffic officer) it was such a rewarding experience and the culture, food, hospitality, music, vibrant fashion and strength these strong women who held down the homes represented was truly breathtaking and will forever hold a special place in my heart.