Dear Me,

Wow. Look at you.

I remember when you first started this journey full of dreams, a little scared and wondering whether you were ready to leave everything behind and step into the stranger community and country. You had passion “yes” but also questions. Would you connect with the community? Would you make a difference? Would you even understand where to begin?

Now here I am, writing to you from the other side and let me tell you something you have come so far.

You’ve learned to sit in circles with strangers who became friends with children who reminded you why you started and with elders who shared stories that made you see the world differently. You no longer worry about whether you’re doing “enough” because you now understand that service isn’t measured by grand projects but by presence, patience, and small steps you take with others.

You’ve grown in ways no classroom could have taught you. You’ve found your voice not by speaking louder but by listening better. You’ve adapted to unfamiliar foods, cultural, different routines, and community expectations. You’ve laughed in moments you didn’t expect to and “yes” you’ve cried when things didn’t go as planned but even that was growth.

You saw young people light up with new skills. You saw women come together to learn and lead. You saw what happens when people are empowered and not helped. And in all of that, you realized that “you didn’t just come to serve, you came to learn, to unlearn, and to become”.

You’ve become softer and stronger, You’ve become more courageous, and You’ve become someone who knows that impact isn’t always immediate but it’s real.

Keep this version of you close to the one who leads with heart, who trusts the process, and who believes in people. Because this is who you were meant to become all along.

Kind regards, 

Gisele Uwineza