It is finally here, the moment I’ve been awaiting for the last 3 months! We are in Entebbe, Uganda, awaiting the arrival of Richard Bbale, the CEO of Banapads. I am more than excited to embark on this adventure and discover what social entrepreneurship looks like in action.

East Africa has already hit me with a wave of raw emotion, for I’ve never seen such beauty. When arriving in Kigali, Rwanda last night, the stop-over before Entebbe, the hills surrounding the airport looked as if they had stars strewn across the hills. With all of the houses lit by barely any lights, and no light pollution from skyscrapers or streetlights, the hills looked like the sky above us, upholding constellations that guide airplanes in and out of the majestic country of Rwanda. I knew after seeing the stars, that they’d be circling around my head for the rest of this trip.

Arriving in Entebbe International Airport last night was such a relief. After traveling for some 24 hours straight, we had finally reached our destination. It was refreshing to feel the intense humidity sweep over us like a warm and welcoming blanket. It was invigorating seeing all of the advertisements for safaris, African banks, and tourist “hashtags” for Uganda, “the pearl of Africa”. It was all so surreal, and so exciting.

As we move forward today with general introductions with the Banapads leadership team and a quick trip to the Entebbe Zoo, I will be gearing up to start thinking in the social entrepreneurship mindset. It’s all about using guerilla skills, and working with what you got. Regardless of what Banapads has in terms of infrastructure and data management, the sky is the limit, and the parameters will only inspire more creativity and resourcefulness. I am excited to embark on this journey.

The journey starts today!