By Leah Unger
I first went to the Lukome Center in May 2019. I was 9 years old. To be honest, I did not like the idea of going. I thought that it would be miserable, dirty, and hot. But my parents said that we were going as a family so I didn’t have much of a choice. The rest of my family had exciting sounding goals for our time there. My dad wanted to work with their water system, my mom wanted to work with the interpreters, and my then 6-year-old sister wanted to eat rice 3 times a day. My one goal was to not completely hate it and maybe have some fun.
When we arrived at the Lukome Center, I was blown away. It was nothing like I had expected. I imagined dust blowing everywhere and huts caving in on themselves. Instead, it was beautiful with little clusters of clean, sturdy huts scattered throughout the green campus, and bright green bushes everywhere. Best of all, 7 towering mango trees abundant with ripe fruit, stood right at the center. The campus was strikingly quiet and peaceful. Our time got better and better every day. I loved everything from the food to the climate to meeting the girls to their classes. My hands down favorite part was chapel every evening. When I sang and prayed with them, I felt like God was right there and all my worries were lifted off my shoulders… at least for a little while. I had never experienced anything like it.
Before I knew it, it was time to go home. It may sound strange coming from a 9-year-old, but I was purely devastated. I felt like I had just found my second home and it was taken from me. I begged to go back as an intern or with my family, but my parents said that a 9-year-old can’t travel halfway across the world by herself to be an intern. I was like a fish out of water and tried to figure out what to do with myself or get the Lukome Center out of my mind.
Shortly after we got home, I read a post on this blog by Larry Lindell titled “Do Something.” It is then that I decided that if I couldn’t go back, I would at least try to raise some money. And with that I became the face of Girls for Girls for Uganda. I was inspired by Desmond Tutu’s call to do a little bit of good where we are. I thought what if many people came together and our little bits of good could overwhelm the Lukome Center. It was a crazy journey, but it was successful, and thanks to the generosity of many, we were able to upgrade the center in ways that will make life much easier for the staff and students.
Throughout all of this, I did not give up on my dream of going back. I finally got my chance this past May. Traveling during COVID times and having to be double masked on all the flights was no joke! But it was so worth it. As soon as we arrived, I felt I had returned home. The smells, the sights, and the sounds were so familiar and comforting.
I was a bit concerned that the students would keep to themselves and not want to talk to me because they were all new. It turns out I did not need to worry one bit. Since we all got there at the same time, we were making friends and learning together. Some girls came from Uganda, some from South Sudan and the Imvepi refugee camp, and 2 from New Hampshire, U.S.A. I learned everybody’s name much faster and felt like I was part of the group. I got to play lots of soccer, learn to bake rolls and doughnuts, cook chapati bread and local greens, and catch and prepare flying termites.
The conversations I was able to have with the staff and students were inspiring and enlightening. I was more familiar with the Ugandan accent the second time around so I could understand everyone without having to concentrate very hard. I even picked up some Arabic and Acholi. The more I could say, the more excited the girls and staff got. Every day was like a language lesson with lots of giggles.
Chapel was even better than 2 years ago. I felt more free to dance and sing along. At first, I was worried because they had some new songs, but as the days went by, I figured them out and could sing them with my whole heart. This time I wasn’t just an observer, but a full participant. I felt less like a foreign visitor, and more like a part of the group. When we left 2 weeks later, I again felt that a piece of my heart stayed there. I can’t wait for the day I can go back and worship like that again. I hope ChildVoice creates a program for junior interns because I will be the first to sign up!
Leah Unger is an 11 year old middle schooler. She loves to run, play soccer and read. From a very young age she has been interested in other cultures and ways different people live. She is inspired by local staff at the Lukome center and their determination and work ethic to become a better person herself. She would like to continue learning from their wisdom. When she grows up, she would like to do development work somewhere in Africa, preferably Uganda. She would very much like to become the next Kristin Benoit.