You are not adequately prepared for the arrival to Uganda.  The vibrancy and intensity of color, sound and the scent of exotic spices cannot be taken in so easily.  Sunrises and sunsets are powerful and passionate, much like the women we met along the rutted roads into remote villages.  The land itself is lush with crops of maize, rice and papyrus bending in the wind.  The bustling market places are full with produce and housewares.  Winston Churchill called Uganda the “Pearl of Africa”; it is easy now to see this description as completely accurate.

Travelling half way around the world to discover the comfort of being with others unlike yourself but with the mutual humanity of caring for families- different in culture but sharing the same goals and aspirations of any woman anywhere in the world.

The integration of The Greater Contribution (TGC) US and Ugandan teams appears seamless.  In giving to the kindness of strangers, with hearts full of love and compassion- The Ugandan staff is sensitive, caring and diligent in their work to see that the women we serve are treated with dignity and respect.   The Healthy Periods Initiative (HPI), in partnership with Volunteer Action Network, provides girls with affordable menstrual hygiene products.  This in turn, empowers them to go to school all year round and gives them a better, secure and dignified future. Observing the faces of gratitude and the smiles of living a full life despite the barriers before them is truly astonishing.  We attended a primary school to distribute packages of these products and the girls were delighted to receive them.

With literacy and business classes and the continuation of micro loans, along with the HPI (Healthy Period Initiative) program for young girls, TGC is making a meaningful and long term impact.  Only by being in-country can one truly see the significance of improving another woman’s life.

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