Right now, 15 of our biggest supporters are on a plane heading to Uganda. After a whirlwind day in the office and a sleepover at the Roadie House, they woke up bright and early (like 4:00 AM early) to catch their first flight.
Their ages range from 16 to early 40s, and they come from all over the country. And yes, they are all lovely ladies (but we did not plan it that way – guys must be slacking this year). Together, they raised over $100,000 for our #zeroLRA fundraising campaign in the fall. The money they worked so hard to fundraise went to programs in Uganda, Central African Republic, and Democratic Republic of Congo.
Our Uganda trip winners cheesing between trainings.
During the trip, they’ll be embracing their adventurous sides by going on safaris, bungee jumping, whitewater rafting through the jungle, and hiking to beautiful waterfalls. Their days will be filled with visits to our Ugandan offices, cooking classes, dance circles, and even a graduation ceremony for our Functional Adult Literacy course.
In addition, they will actually get to meet the people they have supported and the programs they have helped fund: Geoffrey, Jolly, past Ugandan Roadies, and the students participating in our programing. These are the people who have inspired, taught, and motivated our trip winners.
These ladies exemplify the Fourth Estate mentality. When asked why they are so committed to Invisible Children, their responses varied, as everyone’s do. Yet they all seemed to agree that the value of the individual – from the United States to Uganda – empowers and motivates them. They love that we invest in our supporters through events like the Fourth Estate Summit and that our programs commit to the well-being of people throughout central and East Africa.
We’re excited to see how much they’ll learn through this trip – travel has a way of broadening one’s perspective. This trip is a reminder for us as well; our supporters are the life blood of Invisible Children. We could not exist without their dedication and donations. We are so excited that this group, who has worked so hard to fundraise an incredible amount of money, gets to experience the programs that they are enabling to continue.
We wish them safe travels and offer some final advice: soak it all in. Experience everything. Celebrate everything.
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