Saying Goodbye to Bangladesh and Hello to my Girls in Uganda

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After almost 6 weeks in Bangladesh I am wrapping up my time here and headed to see Hope, Irene, and all the ladies at RWO in Uganda.

While not the most beautiful country I have traveled to, the people make up for that. I found everyone to be so helpful and accommodating. I was trying to call a CNG (tuk tuk) to go to dinner in Bongua and had 4 people come over to help when the driver didn't understand my request. This is common that locals all try to help a visitor have a positive experience in their country. Of course after getting me settled I got the two questions I always get: What country am I from and can they take a selfie with me!

I have learned so much while in Bangladesh and met wonderful people that I will miss. The two organizations I spent the most time with: Amal Foundation and Tarango are organizations I plan to keep in contact with. They are both doing great work in Bangladesh that I hope to be able to contribute to their continued efforts. As I was leaving, Kohinoor the Executive Director of Tarango, was awarded the top prize for the National Jute Day for their contributions to this eco-friendly industry that employees so many women in BD. At the same time, Esrat the Executive Director of Amal Foundation, was invited to attend a prestigious summit in Dubai that included attendees such as Malala, Gloria Steinem, the First Lady of Ukraine, Hilary Clinton and many more. These are just two of the impressive women I have met while in Dhaka.

My visit to Uganda will be much more brief than last time. My purpose is to check in with the women who have received loans over the last year and discuss how we can expand the loan program this year to help more women start or expand their businesses.

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