One of the greatest honors of my life came when I was given an Empaako name: Akiiki, meaning “one who upholds national, community, and family interests with great love, care, kindness, and honesty.” That moment changed everything. I wasn’t an outsider documenting poverty—I was family, trusted with stories that deserved to be shared with reverence and love. Before Uganda, I thought resilience was about bouncing back from hardship. Now I know it’s something deeper: the farmer who plants seeds when rains are uncertain, the refugee youth dreaming of becoming a software engineer after surviving years on the streets, the mother walking miles to fetch water because her children depend on her strength. Resilience isn’t built in isolation. It’s nurtured across generations, passed from heart to heart like a living flame of hope.
There’s something nobody really tells you about growth:It’s messy. It doesn’t arrive wrapped in clarity and confidence.It doesn’t announce itself with perfect timing.Most of the time, it sneaks in quietly, disguised as disruption, doubt, or an invitation that feels bigger than you think you can handle. Over the past few months, I’ve found myself standing […]
Resilience is more than the ability to recover from hardship—it’s the strength to adapt, grow, and thrive in the face of challenges. During my time in Uganda, I witnessed resilience woven into the daily lives of individuals and communities. These moments of strength and perseverance deeply inspired my upcoming photo book, Fields of Resilience, and […]
I’ve loved writing for as long as I can remember. Stories—especially from different cultures and places—always fascinated me. Growing up, this passion wasn’t exactly nurtured, but it also wasn’t discouraged. Still, I held onto that curiosity and dream. In January 2023, I shared with my friend Hollie Stuart—an inspiring author and speaker—that she could expect […]
