Portraits in Uganda

Recess at the Kyamulinga School in rural Uganda, 2009

(click images to view larger versions)

In 2009 I had the opportunity to travel to Uganda to photograph schools and students for Boulder-based non-profit One School at a Time.  It was a fantastic trip and I look forward to being able to afford to return sometime to work with them some more.  One School partners with rural Ugandan schools (one at a time) and does a great job of bringing the school community into the partnership so that the projects are shared and sustained.  The kids at these schools are remarkable.  They are poor, living in a subsistence economy with very few resources, but they are driven to succeed at school.  I wish our kids could somehow see how good they have it here and not take our schools quite so much for granted.  

Since returning from Uganda, I've joined the One School board of directors, given a number of slide shows on their programs, and generally tried to help out.  Ellen sells delicious Bristol Bay salmon (thanks to a friend at Misty Fjord) here in Laramie twice a year and the profits go to One School.  Many of you know about this.  

I'll be doing a show at the Dairy Center for the Arts in Boulder this fall and will show some of these photos, and others, there.  I also maintain a blog for One School--I just posted some of these portraits there along with others, so have a look if you are interested and spread the word.  One School does a lot of good things with a very small budget, and unlike many non-profits, almost all of their funds actually make it to the ground in Africa, thanks to a huge amount of volunteer work and personal sacrifice by the directors.