From 2006 to 2019, I spent all but three of the Christmas holidays in Uganda. The first year I was a student in a three-week class offered by Maine Media Workshops. After that I took groups of volunteers from Change the Truth, the non-profit I founded in 2007.
During those years I made many photographs of the children at the orphanage we helped support, as well as people who lived nearby. I was an outsider in the small village of Kajjansi, but because of the work I did there year after year, I was welcomed into classrooms, dormitories and homes. What a huge privilege that was.
Every year at this time, I could be found stuffing countless duffel bags with art supplies, clothing, Christmas gifts, shoes, school supplies and more. The trips were dependably meaningful, inspiring and heartwarming, and every one of us who made the journey, whether it was once or twice or, in my case 11 times, was profoundly changed.
Because it's that time of year, I've been recalling those trips and the people (the Ugandans with whom I fell in love, as well as the volunteers who accompanied me) who changed me. Last night I revisited the photographs I made and selected some to share here. While I made lots of joyful photographs, even some in color, I seem to have chosen the more thoughtful or serious ones. Given where I am these days, I guess that makes sense. At any rate, I hope you enjoy seeing them.
I will forever be grateful to those who let me into their lives and who trusted me to tell their stories. They gave me much more than I was able to give them.
