Visiting Africa has always been a dream of mine. My parents served in the Peace Corps for two years before I was born, and growing up their stories of their time in Africa were interwoven into our lives. Our house was decorated with beautiful handcrafted African art, our shelves were full of books with titles like “Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book”, and we spent many nights as a family watching slide shows of pictures from their time there. So, when my beautiful cousin Laura announced that she was getting married in Uganda, my sisters and I jumped at the chance to celebrate with her!
Several years ago when Laura joined the Peace Corps she helped start Miryante Orphanage in Uganda. After her time in the Peace Corps ended she continued to live in Africa, and that’s where she met her husband. His family came to Uganda from India, so the wedding was a beautiful Hindu ceremony. I’m officially in love with Indian weddings! The multiple days of celebrating, the dancing, the henna designs, the beautiful saris, it was all so amazing!
My cousin loves to travel, and her wedding was attended by friends she’s made all over the world! We all quickly became good friends and we realized that we travel well together as a group. So, we’ve decided that in the future we’re going to keep traveling internationally together! I’m already dreaming of our next trip!
One of Laura’s friends is a designer in India and she created gorgeous outfits and saris for each of us to wear to the Sangeet (the dance party) and the wedding ceremony. I felt so beautiful! Indian dresses are gorgeous. I want to wear them every single day! The colors are stunning! I secretly think that in another life I must have been a Sassy Indian Auntie. The way the women loved to get dressed up, how freely they spoke their minds, and how they tended to run a tad bit late really resonated with me, and I loved it!
The wedding celebration stretched over several days, which was so much fun! It started with the henna designs, which were hand drawn by talented artists. The ink dyed our skin and the designs lasted almost two weeks.
My cousin’s bridal henna. Isn’t it so gorgeous?
The next evening was the Sangeet, which was a really fun dance party. I was part of a group that performed an Indian dance that we had been practicing for weeks beforehand. It was so much fun!
I loved dancing in this beautiful beaded outfit at the Sangeet dance party!
The women made beautiful floral garlands for the wedding ceremony.
The third evening was the wedding ceremony. Laura was an absolutely gorgeous bride! I loved her red sari. The ceremony lasted several hours and was full of both fun and meaningful traditions. It was an incredible evening!
Laura was stunning in her red bridal sari!
The wedding ceremony was full of meaningful traditions.
My sisters and I were honored to participate in the ceremony. We were told to give Laura marriage advice to bless her marriage. After being married for eleven years, I obviously have good advice!
One of the neat things about this trip was that I got to experience two cultures for the price of one plane ticket! The first part of the trip was focused on the Hindu wedding ceremony and was full of Indian traditions. The second part was a tour of Uganda, including a trip to Miryante Orphanage and going on a safari!
On our first sightseeing day we took a tour of the Nile River. I was expecting the Nile to be huge, and was surprised at how narrow across it was. Our group all fit in a small wooden boat, and our guide was able to maneuver us close to the bank of the river so we could see lots of animals!
The Nile River Tour.
Just floating along on The Nile.
We balanced precariously on some very tippy rocks and took a picture at the source of the Nile. It was exciting!
Taking this trip with my sisters was amazing!
The next day we traveled to Miryante Orphanage, where I got to meet my beautiful Stellah! My family sponsors her, so being able to actually meet her in person was one of the highlights of the trip! Hugging her made my mama heart so happy, and we both cried. She is the sweetest, kindest soul, and our family absolutely loves her! My kiddos drew her some adorable pictures, and my husband and I picked out some special gifts for her.
Meeting our beautiful Stellah for the very first time.
We toured the orphanage, and friends, I was so impressed. Not only is it a happy environment, but it is so carefully thought out and organized. Several years ago there was another orphanage in the area that had to close and send all the children away due to lack of funding, and my cousin and the director have worked very hard to make Miryante Orphanage as self-sustainable as possible to prevent that situation from ever happening again. They incorporate things like solar panels, bio-fuel for cooking meals, and rain water collection barrels. The children have chores like gardening and caring for the farm animals.
The rain barrels are a new addition to the orphanage, and are a very important resource.
The caretakers and students who attend the technical school create items that can be sold in a little gift shop at the front entrance. I returned home with my suitcases full of their beautiful handcrafted items!
Weaving a mat.
Shopping for crafts that are made by the caretakers and older students. Some of these items will be available at my shop Whimsy & Blue Boutique!
Our whole group brought suitcases full of toys, clothes, and shoes for the children at the orphanage, and it was so much fun to pass out the gifts! And you know what I love about the orphanage? After all the children had received their gifts we still had some toys and other supplies left over. Doreen, the director at the orphanage, made the decision to donate the extra items to a refugee camp located just down the road. Doesn’t that speak volumes to her character and the overall mindset of the orphanage? Instead of keeping the extra items, they found people within their community that they could help. That’s powerful, and part of the reason I love supporting the incredibly important work of Miryante Orphanage.
Of course, I couldn’t go to Africa without going on a safari!
Hanging out at the equator.
First, we took a boat tour of the Kazunga Channel. It was incredible!
A fishing village.
We were able to get so close to elephants, hippos, and so many other cool animals. They were all gathered at the edge of the lake, just hanging out, not paying a bit of attention to us. To be in the presence of such amazing animals in their natural habitat was really neat.
That evening our guide took us on a drive through the safari park at sunset to look for lions. We sat on the roof of the vehicle, the dust and golden light swirling all around us, and drove through a beautiful part of the park. There was something magical about the air and the light that evening. It engulfed us in a golden warmth and made everything around us glow. It was beautiful! I couldn’t help but stretch my hand up to the sky, just so I could feel the wind between my fingers.
Gazing out across the landscape, watching the sun set behind the distant mountains, and yes, spotting a lion, was all so amazing!
Travel is so good for the soul. Seeing new things, experiencing different cultures, and meeting wonderful people is so exciting! I want to say a huge “thank you” to the family who purchased our antique buffet, helping to make my trip possible. This trip absolutely filled me with inspiration. I smile every time I think about my trip to Africa! It was an amazing experience that I will remember for the rest of my life!
I am so thrilled that part of the profits made from Whimsy & Blue Boutique will go to Miryante Orphanage to support the important work that they do there. And I am so grateful for the wonderful opportunity to spend time with the beautiful children who call Miryante home. They are forever in my heart! If you would like more information about Miryante Orphanage, including ways you can help sponsor a child or some of the special programs, check out their website here.
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Have a beautiful day!
Sandy
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