CLA at last

I've lived in Uganda for over a year now, and until yesterday I had never visited Cornerstone Leadership Academy. This has been a significant missing piece in my Uganda experience, because CLA is the school that Sseko partners with and where most of the ladies I work with come from.

The school is about thirty minutes outside the city, and even though I've driven by the entrance sign on my way to Gulu, I'd never stepped foot on the grounds. So when our photo and video interns were heading out to the campus to get some shots of the girls, I made sure I was along for the ride.

I had the opportunity to interview a few of the girls, and it was incredible to see how hopeful they were about their futures... Most of them said that they wouldn't have been able to finish high school without the full-ride that CLA provides, which means that they never would have had a shot at attending university. But now its part of all their plans. We asked each of the girls what they wanted to be when they grew up and got quite the variety of answers. From professor, to accountant, to lawyer, to doctor... these girls have high hopes.

Then I asked a few of them how they thought they would fund their university level educations... and most were hoping for the government sponsored scholarships, which unfortunately are few and far between... Having these conversations with the girls at CLA was such a good reminder for me of why Sseko exists. It's easy to get caught up in the day to day grind, but having these beautiful, hopefully girls in front of me.... it was such a refresher.

And as happy as that experience was, I left feeling a little twinge of sadness... because I knew that I wouldn't get to work with those girls firsthand. Some of the girls I talked to yesterday will be hired to work with Sseko next year, but by then I'll be back in America... But I had to remind myself that this would always be the case.... there will always be a fresh group of bright-eyed CLA graduates recruited for Sseko each year, and that's the beauty of it. I've been blessed enough to know two generations of Sseko women, and even though I'll be watching from afar, I can't wait to see who the new faces of Sseko are! The fact that they are probably in this picture gives me serious goosebumps... and I wouldn't have it any other way.