A Personal Reflection: What Uganda Taught Me About Peace, People, and Myself

Fall 2013: This is the season I return to often in my memory, not because everything was easy, but because everything was real. That semester, I left the comfort of theory-driven classrooms at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, US, and stepped into Gulu, Northern Uganda, for my academic internship, a place that still carried the scars of a brutal conflict. 

I arrived there with an open mind and a head full of peacebuilding theories, but I didn’t yet understand how different lived experience would be from what I had studied.

Arriving in Gulu: When Theory Meets Humanity

Before traveling, I had read a lot about the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the years of violence and displacement that followed. But nothing prepares you for meeting the people who lived through it, the mothers rebuilding homes, the young men seeking identity after war, and the elders trying to reweave their communities.

Gulu changed me. Everyone I met carried a story of loss, but also a level of resilience that humbled me. They didn’t speak about theory; they lived it. And I quickly realized that the peacebuilding education that I received at the university wasn’t something to “apply” to Uganda. It was something to unlearn, reshape, and deepen alongside the people living the realities I had only studied.

My Role at a Local Justice Organization

My internship placement was with a respected local organization working in areas of transitional justice, conflict sensitivity, and community empowerment. I supported staff on research, policy analysis, and public communication, contributing to materials that helped raise awareness of conflict-related issues and amplify community voices.

There was no “observer role” for interns. I found myself participating in community dialogues, helping draft advocacy documents, and contributing to discussions on how survivors’ needs could be incorporated into national policy processes. One of my most challenging tasks was helping develop elements of an advocacy strategy, a responsibility I never expected to be trusted with so early in my career.

Understanding the Realities Behind NGO Work

Before Gulu, I imagined NGOs as well-funded, streamlined organizations. The reality was far more complex and far more inspiring.

Resources were limited. Staff members stretched themselves across multiple roles. Interns weren’t peripheral; we were part of the essential day-to-day work. And the administrative side, the reporting, documentation, and data entry, was not glamorous but absolutely crucial. These tasks kept the doors open, ensured donor accountability, and made community programs possible.

This experience taught me to value the unseen, often uncelebrated labor that sustains peacebuilding work.

Mentorship and Professional Growth

I worked under a senior staff member, an experienced practitioner in transitional justice, whose mentorship shaped my growth. Even when not physically present, they guided my work through feedback, conversations, and encouragement to think critically about each task.

Through this mentorship and my work with the team, I became more confident in my writing, clearer in my analysis, and more thoughtful in my approach to peace and justice issues. I learned that well-intentioned ideas must also be politically and economically realistic if they are to translate into policy.

Connections and Conversations That Mattered

As part of my work, I attended events and meetings that included representatives from civil society, government, and academia. The conversations I observed about justice, reconciliation, development, and the country’s future were challenging, complex, and deeply important.

These experiences gave me insight into how different stakeholders think about peace, and they continue to influence how I approach this work today.

A Personal Transformation

Living and working in Gulu held up a mirror. I became more aware of my own assumptions, shaped by my Kenyan background, my education, and my worldview. Immersed in a community so different from my own, I learned to listen before speaking, to question my assumptions, and to approach every interaction with humility.

I learned patience.  I learned cultural sensitivity.  I learned that peacebuilding begins with relationships, not documents.  And above all, I learned that healing is not a concept; it is a lived journey.

Looking Back, Moving Forward

I recognize this experience as a defining moment in my life, as it strengthened my desire to pursue a career in peacebuilding, not because it is intellectually interesting, but because it is human work that matters. I believe the experience prepared me for future roles, including my current work. It continues to guide me on how I think, work, and hope to contribute to peace.

I am grateful for Gulu, for the organization that welcomed me, for the people who trusted me with their stories, and for the transformation that took place within me. The experience remains one of the most meaningful chapters of my life.