So Who Am I Going to Africa With, You Ask?

I am heading to Uganda via Senegal to commence my work as an International Anti-Sexual Violence Legal Consultant. The hook was set by my friend ,Else, who is a Doula and is excited to work with the pregnant women and girls at Shanti Uganda. I learned that the focus of the trip is on women and children not only at Shanti's Birthing House, but also at the New Hope Orphanage and in the Acholi Slums women's center--Life in Africa. There was not, however, an "expert" on sexual assault on the trip and that is how I became involved. See also: Global Shine Project

I am challenged to bring my knowledge and experience from North America--a situation so incredibly different than in Uganda--and try and help in some way. So, this is my exploratory journey to excavate just how this white, North American lawyer can be relevant in Uganda. My intention is that this is the beginning of a career in international consulting & development, and not just a one-time trip.

I look forward to meeting with the Ugandan Association of Women Lawyers as well as several Law Professors at Mekerere University. While there are so many areas of specialty needed when combatting the hideous effects of sexual violence--especially on a mass scale like here in Uganda after the terrible civil war--I hope to find a useful and expansive outlet for positive change within the law.