Week One: Welcome to Kampala
The journey to spend the summer here in Kampala started last year when I was in the process of deciding where to attend law school. I knew that I wanted to pursue an international legal career with the opportunity to practice in different countries, so I was immediately drawn to William & Mary Law because of the Comparative Legal Studies and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding Program. When I applied to the CLS/PCP program, I told Professor Warren that I was willing to travel anywhere in the world to take any of the program’s international internships. When she asked if I had any preferences, I told her that I had a preference for a legal internship in Africa that would allow me to get field experience in conflict mediation. So, here I am spending the summer in the capital of Uganda as a legal intern for USAID, working on their Supporting Access to Justice, Fostering Equity and Peace (SAFE) program. One of SAFE’s primary focuses, which I will most likely be involved with, is managing land rights disputes.
During my first week, I have done some extensive reading to learn about the inner-workings of SAFE’s projects, and I am so excited to get to work! I have also been helping SAFE’s Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Team to analyze data about the most effective use of grant money. While data analysis may not be my strong point , the M&E Team needed help, so I jumped in.
Outside of work, I have also really enjoyed exploring Kampala. I went on a tour of the city by boda-boda (motorcycle) and was enthralled by the organized chaos of this area. My roommate, who I am renting from for the summer, is also incredibly hospitable and is not afraid to tell the truth about life in Sub-Saharan Africa.
This weekend, I’ll be traveling to Jinja, the famous home to the source of the Nile, to hopefully do some rafting and bungee jumping. I’ll also stay in Jinja for work next week to attend a conference on land rights disputes. So excited to see what’s in store for the rest of the summer!
P.S. The picture does not do it justice, but the view of my sunset from my balcony is gorgeous!