The Gang’s All Here (Almost): GSSAP 2014!

While friends, family, and the UT Center for International Education naturally worried about media reports of a possible terrorist attack on Entebbe International Airport, and while my dear friend, esteemed colleague, and GSSAP co-leader Professor Rosalind Hackett contended with travel snafus and long delays, Team 2014 happily (and safely) assembled at Backpacker’s Inn to celebrate the start of our collective adventure. 

Neither jetlag nor heightened airport security could deter our high spirits as Ph.D. student and GSSAP 2011 alumna Julia Hanebrink snapped this inaugural image. Slathered with sunblock and mosquito repellent we eagerly awaited the arrival of our friend Lawerence “Kim” Kayima of Green Youth Conservation Uganda to take us on an epic tour of Entebbe’s beautiful botanic garden. Charged with the energy of new experiences we prepared to set off on a journey of discovery, not just of Uganda’s rich natural beauty but of its wealth of cultural and historical resources. Our beaming faces tell the story of adventures yet to come, of knowledge waiting to be gained, of new understandings germinating in a chrysalis of potential. 

For me, this first image summarizes the intensity of inchoate experience. In the weeks to come, we will discover together something vital in the human condition: the tragedy and resilience of a society recovering from war and displacement, the tenacity and courage inherent in northern Ugandans’ collective pursuit of peace and social justice, and our shared capacities and desires to connect across language, culture, and disparate yet deeply intertwined histories. 

This is the GSSAP experience - and we owe it entirely to our friends and family in Uganda who share their lives, their joys, and their struggles with us. And although we are just setting out, we can already say thank you, Uganda; thank you, Gulu. . . Thank you for giving us the opportunity to glimpse the world through your eyes. You are beautiful. You are strong. You are exactly where we want to be. May we contribute something small to your unfolding story as you contribute  so much to ours.  Apwoyo Matek!