Hi everyone!
My name is Rachel and I am doing a double major in Human Biology and Anthropology at the University of Toronto, St. George campus. You would agree with me that travelling to a place you have never been before makes you anxious and excited at the same time? I am thrilled to get this opportunity to travel to Uganda this summer where I will be working with the Children of Hope Uganda (COHU) organization as an intern for 3 months. COHU is a non-profit organization working towards empowering the war-affected youths in Northern Uganda. I have volunteered with COHU for about 2 years now and worked closely with the founder of the organization, Lorna Pitcher, who stirred a great zeal and inspiration in me to visit Lira, Uganda, the hallmark of all the COHU projects.
I strongly believe that every human being came into existence because there is a purpose they need to serve in this rapidly-developing interconnected world community. I see in every human being an innate potential to soar to the highest heights of their dreams in life. It is true that due to unforeseen tragedies such as war, drought and disease epidemics, one can lose hope, energy, determination and motivation to tap into one`s potentials. However, I am grateful for COHU and many other organizations/groups that always stand for humanity. More than 1100 lives of young people have been hugely impacted, transformed and empowered by COHU, through the advocacy for education and initiatives promoting acquisition of self-reliance and entrepreneurial skills. Having had a similar life experience, I feel strongly connected to all the youths and children in Northern Uganda, whom I would happily consider my brothers and sisters.
I am deeply passionate about serving the human kind in all possible ways; a dream I have always had since my childhood. This experience will not only expose me to new life challenges and experiences, but also will challenge my capabilities and facilitate my personal growth. All this will ultimately equip and shape me into a reliable global citizen who can serve humanity with unwavering compassion and deep understanding.
Finally, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Lorna and Katie for their tremendous amount of support and for always being there to respond to my numerous questions. Many thanks to Dr. Oswald, the IDS department, Tasha and everyone who rendered me help!
I am happy to be a QE scholar, looking forward to life-changing experiences!
Mwebale! (Thank you)