"Tumaini": Swahili for "hope"

I was a freshman. With the Gordon chapter of Amnesty International we showed "The Invisible Children," a documentary made by 3 guys who graduated college and went to Africa to "find something." What they found was a civil war that had been ravaging Northern Uganda for over 20 years. Now a senior, I am in Uganda, and visited the Invisible Children Bracelet Campaign office. It was surreal; standing outside a gate with the oh-so-familiar 'Invisible Children' lettering scrawled in white on black. We knocked, and entered to receive a tour of the offices, meet workers, all displaced from Gulu, and understand the organization more fully. It was encouraging. After my freshman year, critiques of the amount of advertising, and the quality of advertising, done by Invisible Children have sprung- a lot of money is spent. On the ground, the organization seems as sustainable and simplicity minded as possible though. And the ways that the Bracelet Campaign is not sustainable, are being addressed. The office we went to is completely Ugandan staffed. The workers we talked to are happy- thankful for a job with benefits. "Because of this, my sister and brother can attend to school." The walls are bare; the money goes to people, not decorations.
Two days later I visited another organization called TAPP: Tumaini AIDS Prevention Program. And it was even more exciting. TAPP is not only completely Ugandan staffed, but began out of a Ugandan man's acknowledgment of need, and desire for change. "Be the change to want to see in the world" and all that (Gandhi). TAPP's aim is to provide opportunities for women and children infected with HIV/AIDS, to reclaim identity and community. So often those infected are ostracized, sick, and unable to provide for themselves (or their children). There is jewelry making- providing income, as well as collaboration among the women who work together. There is a program for elderly women, raising funds to build 2 room homes, so that they have one room to live in and one to rent for income. There are children's programs- a school, sponsorship opportunities, etc. I walked with Patrick, the school's headmaster, for 15 minutes as I left the center to catch a matatu back to Mukono. He also leads MDD (music, dance, and drama), and allowed me to inquire about the effectiveness and sustainability of theatre here. He went to undergrad for "Community Theatre," and spoke highly of its potential. I asked if he thought me coming back here and getting involved in community theatre (specifically focused on social change) was attainable. He answered a hearty "yes." For those 15 minutes alone, the day's visit was worth it.

My time volunteering with LiA also continues to highlight my weeks. Walking through the Acholi Quarter in Banda, the IDP camp that most of the interviews are conducted in, is an intriguing combination of light and heavy. It lightens me in the good of the work, and weighs in its dank reality. Invisible Children, TAPP, and LiA- each pushes me to wonder how where I'll end up long-term and what I'll be doing. And how the heck will acting play in? I think of Franny and Zooey once again: "Somewhere along the line...you not only had a hankering to be an actor or actress but to be a good one. You're stuck with it now. You can't just walk out on the results of your own hankerings. Cause and effect, buddy, cause and effect. The only thing you can do now, the only religious thing you can do, is act. Act for God, if you want to- be God's actress, if you want to. What could be prettier?"