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Africa was never on Amanda’s radar. She loved Latino culture and always thought she would end up in Mexico. All of that changed the day that she heard a former child soldier speak. She was captivated by him and thought his smile lit up the whole room. She wondered how he could have, not only survived, but be so forgiving, warm, and genuine. She realized that is was because of the people that stepped in for him and loved him enough to help him heal. Soon after, her research on child soldiers led her to the LRA and Uganda. Something about Uganda stuck and even though she had a full time job as a high school Spanish teacher, she began looking for jobs or volunteer opportunities in Northern Uganda. Nothing seemed to be working and she was beginning to doubt her calling to Uganda, until a university student came to her classroom to talk about her study abroad experiences.

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