My Building Tomorrow Journey
This page focuses on my journey with Building Tomorrow and offers an opportunity for one to get a feel for what it was like to be a part of Building Tomorrow on the Notre Dame campus and later as a volunteer with the organization in Uganda.
BT Chapter at Notre Dame
I became involved with the BT chapter in its first year and quickly fell in love with the cause. Because of my past experiences and my great appreciation for education, I felt that BT was a cause well worth supporting. With our efforts in the first year, we raised enough money to support our first BT school!
January 2008 - First Attempt
After an exciting and successful first semester for the BT chapter, we heard news that the national offices of BT is sponsoring an immersion trip to Uganda for those interested in traveling. I realized this was an opportunity to travel to Uganda and become further involved with the BT cause. After discussing the trip with my parents and recognizing the opportunity, I committed to the trip and prepared myself for a trip of a lifetime.
I arrived in D.C. in early January 2008 prepared and ready to head to Uganda, but what I wasn't prepared for was a last minute cancellation. Due to conflict in Kenya due to their elections, roads were shut down from Kenya to Uganda and trucks carrying gas was having great difficulty making its way into Uganda. Our trip would have been compromised and there was no guarantee that we would be able to return in two weeks.
I arrived in D.C. in early January 2008 prepared and ready to head to Uganda, but what I wasn't prepared for was a last minute cancellation. Due to conflict in Kenya due to their elections, roads were shut down from Kenya to Uganda and trucks carrying gas was having great difficulty making its way into Uganda. Our trip would have been compromised and there was no guarantee that we would be able to return in two weeks.
January 2009 - Success!
From the Jan. 2008 trip attempt, four of us came gathered back in D. C. in early January 2009 for our second attempt to travel to Uganda. This time, our travels were successful! Our group of 20 anxiously traveled for countless hours and finally arrived in Kampala in the evening of January 2nd.
Our welcome to Uganda - Gasing up on our first day before heading out to Gita
Our first day in Uganda (January 3rd) we prepared to head out to our first day at the construction site. Before we drove too far from the hotel we were staying in, we stopped at a gas station to fill up and experienced our first wave of culture shock. There in plain sight, 20 feet away from the car, was a soilder with a loaded gun, watching to make sure no one starts any trouble.
"We have traffic rules, but we just don't follow them" said Sony our driver.
Once we gassed up, it was time to start our rough hour drive from the capital out to the village and it wasn't the road conditions that made the ride rough...
Along the road, many Ugandans were surprised and excited to see two cars full of mzungus and for most village children, it was their first time seeing a mzungu up close.
"As long as you wave back, they will feel so happy about it." - Sony
Working along the locals at the construction site really brought the whole journey full circle. It was a great opportunity to help the BT cause hands-on and participate on both ends of the BT effort.
It has been one thing to work on campus organizing successful fund-raising events, but to feel the blisters from working the axe pick and feeling the hot African sun beat down on your back as you work with a community children, mothers, fathers, grandmothers, brothers, and sisters on their first school ever makes service the action can change the world.
Together, working to move the earth
