East Africa and Beyond

I've long had a deep desire to go to Africa, I need a dissertation topic, and I thought one might be there - lurking among the many nongovernmental organizations recently established by American college students to address issues in Uganda, Zambia, and Tanzania. This kind of thing is happening elsewhere too, but it just so happens that I've worked with FORGE (www.forgeprogram.org), Invisible Children (www.invisiblechildren.org), the Africa Project (http://www.africaproject.net/), and GAAP (http://www.uga.edu/gaap/) in the past. Between all of these efforts American students are raising awareness about child soldiers, giving those kids and others access to education, and working to empower people trapped in refugee camps.

So I've interviewed many of the students at the core of these organizations, and I want to see how they operate on the ground. I also want to understand how the experience changes them, changes the communities where they work, and changes community members' perceptions of Americans. I've seen their work. I know they're making a huge impact. I want to know more about how, and why.

In Northern Uganda in particular, in a town called Gulu, I'll have a chance to do some work for the Africa Project as I learn more about the situation there. I'll gather information from former child soldiers so that it can be brought back to raise awareness. Putting a bright light on these issues is necessary for the governments to care deeply enough to work hard toward peace. There has actually been some small progress in that area in recent times, as Uganda's President has been more clear in his efforts to make a truce with the main rebel leader.

But truthfully this isn't all research and service - I'll be exploring. If I get far enough east in Zambia, I'll see Victoria Falls. If I cross the border into Kenya, I may hike it's highest mountain, second in Africa only to Kilimanjaro (why not Kilimanjaro? - because Mt. Kenya is still a beast but, unlike Kilimanjaro, I can do it without an expensive guide). I'll go through or near the Serengetti. When I'm in Dar es Salaam I'll head out to Zanzibar.

And after all of that, I fly on to a week stopover in Addis Ababa, then eleven days in Bangkok before coming home.