I have had the privilege to travel in Uganda for the past 11 days. I feel compelled to share parts of my trip in a public forum due to the impact the trip has had on me in my life perspective. We went to Uganda to see the endangered mountain gorillas, of which there are only 700 individuals left. We came away not only knowing amazing individuals who are our genetic “cousins” (the chimpanzee and gorilla) but also an incredible race of brothers who are the Ugandan people.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I am a frequent traveler nor an experienced one, however I do try to get to know individuals and their passions and reasons for living. I have never met such a warm, caring, committed group of people anywhere I have traveled nor lived. Ugandas genuinely want to know you and want to ensure that you have a positive experience and walk away with a good impression of their country. Why would they care so much? Maybe it is because they were persecuted by one of their own in recent history (1971-1979) or because tourism generates a large percentage of their national income or maybe it is just because they are a compassionate group of people.
Most of them are also committed to a cause. For example, Stane the manager of Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Ngamba Island, Entebbe, has dedicated his life to protecting orphaned chimpanzees. His cause began in the Western part of the country rescuing chimps from the Congo and then when his country had political unrest, he took them to Kenya to give them refuge, and eventually to Entebbe to the local zoo until Jane Goodall became involved in his project. The island currently has 42 individuals.
The gorilla guides and trekkers from Impenetrable Forest National Park, Bwindi are dedicated to educating the public about the gorillas, taking people to see them, and protecting them from their only predator, humans. They commit themselves to the conservation of the gorillas’ natural habitat, primary forest, and the other animals that co-habitat that forest.
Every person you meet can tell you about conservation, deforestation, reforestation, and what is being done to help. The government has planted Eucalyptus forests to grow rapidly and be used by the locals for wood consumption as opposed to the indigenous forests. People who used to hunt for food can now tell the government they don’t have the money to buy meat and will be given a job in the National Parks to help with maintenance so they can earn the money to buy meat instead of hunt.
All of this commitment, compassion, and caring comes from a people who generally do not have easy access to education and opportunity. They are fighting to advance, survive, and educate their visitors about their causes. If you believe in these causes, help by talking about my positive experiences while visiting Uganda.
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