This summer I undertook a six-week LiA project with Women Rights Initiative (WORI), a Ugandan women-led, grassroots, women’s rights organisation in Jinja, Uganda. Having completed historical research on gender-based violence (GBV) in Summer 1, I felt compelled to put this theoretical knowledge into practice and to support GBV survivors in the here and now, a privilege I was afforded through my internship with WORI.

From my fascinating and invigorating conversations with Rose, WORI’s executive director, we concluded that resource mobilisation, that is finding reliable, sustainable funding streams for WORI, would be the crux of my work over the coming six weeks. This resource mobilisation work consisted of three key strands: resource mobilisation for the Organic Demonstration Farm Project; resource mobilisation for the Nyonga Women’s Shelter, the largest safe space for GBV survivors in Uganda; and business planning for WORI’s social enterprise, Star Durable Pads. I am very grateful for the trust that WORI showed in me, by giving me a great deal of responsibility over my tasks and the space to grow and develop professionally. I truly felt as though I were a valued member of the team and that my input mattered. In the process, I discovered skills I did not know I possessed, and which will stand to me in my future endeavours. As an indication of this, I arrived at WORI having never written a grant application and left having completed seven! 

Living and working in Uganda was certainly a challenge, however, it is one which I feel I rose to. It required me to remain open and accepting towards cultural differences whilst standing firm on my own convictions. I greatly admired WORI’s staff’s commitment and dedication to continuously learning and unlearning. If I were to pick one thing that I have taken away with me and endeavoured to implement upon my return home, it would be this. It takes a great deal of self-knowledge and self-awareness to be able to admit that you do not know it all and that there is always more to learn. Indeed, it is a mark of true empathy to be able to cast aside one’s ego for the benefit of the people whom you serve. It is certainly not easy, but the most important things in life hardly are.

It was of great importance to me that the work I completed with WORI would actively address both the needs of the organisation itself and those of the vulnerable women and girls it served. Indeed, one of my biggest concerns before coming to Uganda was that I would not have anything of value to offer and that I would not be able to contribute meaningfully to WORI’s work. As such, I went into the experience with no goal other than to give my all in the pursuit of WORI’s mission and objectives, providing my help where it was most needed. It is rare that you feel like the work that you are doing is making a real difference, but with WORI, that is most definitely the case. I was constantly impressed by the work ethic and dedication of WORI and its staff. It truly felt like this work was a vocation, something that they do out of love and care for the women in their community. It is hard not to feel passionate about WORI’s work when you’re in the midst of it, hearing stories of women’s hardship and then seeing their success. It gave me a great sense of personal satisfaction to have been able to conduct resource mobilisation work for WORI and to do my best to ensure the continued effective and efficient functioning of the Nyonga Women’s Shelter. While it was not work in the field, working with the beneficiaries face-to-face, I knew that what I was doing would have an important, positive impact on these women and girls on the ground.

My time with WORI has inspired a change in how I envision my future career and academic pursuits, confirming to me that continuing a focus on gender in my research and a commitment to practically and meaningfully uplifting marginalised women is where my passions lie. Indeed, I am honoured to have been given the position as Global Ambassador with WORI, allowing me to continue our collaboration and to share my passion for WORI’s incredibly important and much-needed work with the world. I know that I will carry my experience with WORI with me for years to come and I couldn’t be more thankful to WORI and to the Laidlaw Foundation for this opportunity.

For more information about the work of WORI and how you can support it, click here!