Crafting and Rafting

Home is often difficult to find when traveling through two or three cities a week. For our Nkula group, I could safely say we all felt at home the past few days with our House Mama, Mama Flo.

To some, our schedule may have seemed routine: Swahili classes in the morning (my personal favorite), painting a mural for Buwenda Preschool in the afternoon, and relaxation with our extraordinary Mama and other Soft Power volunteers in the evening. But there were so many special moments along the way. Alvin learned how to make traditional Ugandan bracelets, and Breezy and Mackenzie mastered the art of cooking chapati. We also took time to show the locals our culture. Skyler and Talia taught the preschoolers a repeat-after-me Major Lazer song, and DeeDee showed them how to do the “Mac Dre” dance. Our nights were filled with card games, dizzying tests or balance trying to stare at the stars, and rope swings into the Nile. Our last day in Bujagali was consumed by an exhausting and epic rafting trip on the same river. We ended up flipping at least six times between the two rafts, and if it weren’t for Kevin, most of us probably couldn’t have gotten back into the boat.

We’re currently in Kampala, the capital, one of the busiest and most crowded places I’ve ever been. Tomorrow we leave early for the Rhino Sanctuary. Even though it’ll be sad to leave our new friends, there are surely more experiences and memories to be made.

-Savannah