By: Karissa Harrison

Have you ever wondered if your life has a purpose? Do you feel like you are always in search of your purpose? We’ve heard it called the rat race – the endless treadmill where people exhaust themselves in pursuit of money, prestige, power, or fame. What we are really looking for is something to fill a void that is in of each one of us. Luckily, I was able to fill that void earlier than most. Traveling to Uganda, Africa has changed my life dramatically; and it serves as motivation for me to work hard and live my life to its fullest.

In February I volunteered at AOET Uganda for the third time. I left on the 17th with a couple from Saratoga, two father-daughter pairs from the area, and a nurse from Saratoga. We then met five other Americans in Uganda that would make a group of 13. My father joined us later to make a team of 14. Our team accomplished many things while in Uganda; we painted and repaired the medical clinic, painted the secondary school, participated in a medical outreach where we provided care to remote villages, interviewed sponsored children, and taught children in both the primary and secondary schools. One of the best things about returning to Uganda is meeting new people and strengthening old friendships. Over the years I have met so many wonderful people through volunteering in Uganda. Not only wonderful people from Uganda, but from all over the world. Most importantly I now have a Ugandan family and many Ugandan friends. These people mean so much to me, more than anyone could ever imagine. Emmanuel Adonga is among one of the people that mean a lot to me.

When I first met Emmanuel in April 2009 I would never have guessed the impact that he would have on my life. I was walking home from the medical clinic, where I had spent my day working with my father, and children came running to us asking us questions left and right and grabbing our hands to hold. Emmanuel, who was fifteen at the time, stood back and patiently waited his turn to introduce himself. He walked by my side and we found that we were only a month a part in age and we shared a lot of common interests. I only saw Emmanuel once more before I left Uganda in 2009, and it was only for a short time. It wasn’t until I returned home to the U.S. that I realized what had just happened. I had met a child, who was exactly like me, and I had seen the way he had to struggle to survive. He only had one pair of shoes and a few changes of clothes. I thought, why am I so fortunate? What makes me any different than him? And that was the moment that my view of things changed. After that moment Emmanuel became my best friend. He has opened my eyes to the world outside of Galway and has helped me to see what is important in life.