Where there's a will...
How it all began
Wendee Nicole was on assignment in Uganda when she took a photograph of a young boy with eyes that "spoke volumes". His name was Beckham and his gaze was powerful enough to draw her back to the community and immerse herself in conservation, education and social projects with the local Batwa people.
Selling up
Life in Sw Uganda stands in stark contrast to the life Wendee Nicole had led in the US. She decided to trade the former for the latter, and once back home, sold her house and moved to a spot close to the Batwa village of Kalehe, where she set up her Redemption Song Foundation NGO. She works with locals on environment and social projects.
A passion for mountain gorillas
Wendee was particularly keen to see Uganda's mountain gorillas. The critically endangered species are threatened by a loss of forest habitat, but the Batwa pygmies also suffered when the creation of a national park evicted them from their forest homeland." People and great apes", she says "are vulnerable to common diseases of poverty, such as tuberculosis and scabies mites."
Conservation dreams
The Redemption Song Foundation hopes to work on conservation initiatives such as reforestation between the Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks and wildlife farming, which could help reduce illegal poaching. They are also looking at smaller scale tree planting. Here they are carrying wood for the construction of a bridge. For each tree felled, a seedling was planted.
A lot of work to do
Besides conservation efforts, the charity sells locally made baskets at fair trade prices, thereby generating enough money for development. It also encourages children to stay in school and makes sure they eat enough protein to stay healthy. One of the things she enjoys most about her work is interacting with the local children. There is some time for fun.