TravelWorld International Magazine Summer 2024

A boy stands on a bench with arms crossed as if to say that he will get his way.
A girl leans on
her mother as her
attention is on a
photographer.
A serene woman looks
at a photographer
as if there were not
a cacophony of
sounds and people
surrounding her.
hen, I had an opportunity to talk to locals–my
favorite thing about traveling. I was able to
watch family interactions. Very often, I'd talk to
people before or after the group visited. Most people
in Uganda speak English. I learned as much
about their lives and history as I could in fifteen
minutes alone with them.
An almost blind woman
is proud of her colorful
tablecloth..
’m about to board our bus when I see something
that makes me laugh out loud. A young boy, about
four years old, stands on a bench, arms crossed as if
to say, “I’m serious, and I’m going to get my way.” In
return, he gets a look that says “Good luck. You can
stand there all day. You are not going to get your
way” That stance and attitude must be universal.
They all permitted me to take their photos. One woman,
almost blind, could see colors better than anything. Bright
colors, she said, bring her joy. She told me to make sure that
I included her tablecloth in the picture. Elsewhere, bongo
players made sure that I photographed them.
A girl and her
mother share an
intimate moment.
Back on the bus, we continue our trip to the Hands of
Love Orphanage. On the trip, I saw the Africa that I had
seen in the National Geographic in the sixties. People still
live in grass huts. Women and children carry plastic yellow
water cans and other items on their heads. A man pushes a
bicycle stacked with wooden chairs. There are no straps. It
looks like a 10-foot-high Jenga game.
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A man pushes a bike loaded with chairs. It
resembles a Jenga game.
I was in Uganda to document a short-term mission group
to the large orphanage south of Kampala. Many would
help with a myriad of projects. Some polished hundreds
of shoes while others taught physics and other subjects.
Others painted and did construction work. Others would
go out and talk to people.
Three drummers
play bongos
outside a rural
Uganda building.
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