I came back home: yesterday, after landing at 10 am at Linate I started to suffer from Mal D’Afrique.
The week I spent in Uganda was so emotional and unbelievable: It gave me peace and energy to create and to see some real results.
All the people I met were happy and full of dignity, aware of their problems and with the wish to end some of these dramatic situations.
I’ve always thought that one of my duties would have been to give some strenght to these people, but I was the one getting so much pragmatism from them. I only had to learn from them.
We all hear about Africa and we all have a different idea of that reality if we haven’t seen it with our eyes: money is not enough by itself, a change of habits in their society is needed. This is the goal of Millennium Promise: to let these people be self-sufficient in the years, not only giving them food and material items, but teaching them how they can provide them by their own.
The first photo of this post is about life: those are two twin brothers who were one day old, shot at Ruhira health centre, created thanks to this project.
This is only part of the photographic reportage Richi and I created during these years and this time is about photos taken the first two days in Africa, Monday and Tuesday.
After landing in Entebbe and sleeping one night in Kampala, on Monday morning we started the 5 hours jeep trip towards Mbarara, near Ruhira village. The only stop during the drive was the equator line and Millenium Villages Projects office, where bloggers and journalists were given the first “lesson” about all the changes which took place from 2006 until now. Changes we could see with our eyes from the following day: after visiting Nyakamuri school we were welcomed at a local farm where we saw the new way of breeding sheeps and cows and cultivating.
We then were brought to see the new electric system and hydric system: before a couple of years ago It was phantasy to think about having electricity or water at home.
After lunch Josè and I offered to talk on air at the small radio station, expressing ideas about the place and people, and then we were brought to Kabuyanda innovation centre where we had a chance to buy handmade bracelets and necklaces made by Ruhira women whose earnings directly go to this project (finally shopping was for a good cause)
But the places which touched me the most were the two Health Centres: Ruhira smallest one and Kabuyanda biggest one. Two places that made lots of new births possible (before their creations kids were born in the houses with a lot of complications) and the prevention and care of dangerous diseases like malaria and Aids.
If you want to make donations or share news about Millenium Promise you can do it through this link: It’s time to change things.
Sono tornata a casa: ieri, dopo essere atterrata alle 10 del mattino a Linate il mal d’Africa ha naturalmente cominciato il suo corso. La settimana che ho passato in Uganda è stata emozionante ed indescrivibile: mi ha donato pace, tranquillità e voglia di fare, di creare e voglia di vedere dei risultati concreti.
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