Gratitude and Goodbyes from Kampala

We’re nearing the end of our stay in Kampala, and I am truly pooped! But it has been worth every moment, every conversation, every project. Today was filled with experiences I wish each of you could have heard with your own ears and seen with your own eyes—because you would have witnessed how your support of The Off Ramp and Threads by Nomad is making a real difference through our partnerships with Amani Sasa and Refuge and Hope.

We began the day with the basket weavers at Amani Sasa. It was a joyful reunion with Mama Elizabeth, and seeing familiar faces—two of the basket weavers we’ve known for years, along with others we’ve sponsored—filled me with gratitude.

Here’s some of what we heard:

“Thank you. Because I learned to weave baskets, I can pay my rent.”

“Thank you. Because I learned to weave baskets, I can pay my child’s school fees.”

“Thank you. Because I learned to weave baskets, I can buy clothes for myself.”

“The basket weaving program taught me I can do things. I am worthy.”

“The basket weaving program gave me a place to experience true acceptance and love.”

“Because of the basket weaving program—because of the love, because of Mama Elizabeth and Mama Missy—I am stronger. I am healing.”

One of the most moving stories came from a young woman who is differently abled. Rejected by her family, she once believed she had no worth. She felt ashamed of her body and doubted she could learn to weave or be accepted into the program. Today, she is loved, accepted, growing, and living independently—supporting herself and her children through her craft.

We were all in tears as we listened to these women.

You helped make this possible. Every time you purchase a basket, you support these women. When you give to The Off Ramp, we’re able to sponsor at least one woman in the program. Last year, we also helped build their new shelter where the women now gather to weave.

And remember the women’s hygiene kits I mentioned in an earlier post? They’re already being distributed to school-age girls! Today I also had the special joy of helping the women at Sewing for Hope design their own clergy stole—one that tells the story of the refugee journey.

I’m not sure how much more could have been packed into one day. Thank you—for your support, your encouragement, and your belief in this work. Without you, none of it would be possible.

One more day here, and then we begin the journey back to South Carolina. It will take a couple of days, and I’ll have a lot to think about as we travel home.