Finding our joyful place...

While doing background reading for Uganda, I paid particular attention to the pieces that paint the reality for woman in the country nicknamed “The Pearl of Africa”.

• The average number of children born to a woman in Uganda is 6

• A Ugandan woman’s life expectancy is 54.5 years

• 80% of women are involved in agriculture and 42% of Ugandan women are unpaid family workers

• Women account for 57 percent of all adults living with HIV/AIDS with practically all women being affected either directly or indirectly by the disease.

These realities paint a bleak picture for Ugandan women.

Driving home from Harris the other day, in a rare move I changed my radio dial from CBC to a Saskatoon rock station for a music fix. Of all musicians, Pink made a comment that stuck with me upon which I plan to frame my learning of Uganda and its people….

When in the depths of despair, it’s important to move to our joyful place.

I want to learn when, where and what that place is for rural Ugandan women and whether I can help them find and be in that place.

Karen Timoshuk