When I hear quotes, speeches and people talking about everyone making a difference, I usually don’t take it too much to heart. But hearing Jane Goodall point out that every single one of us has some impact on the world every single day—simply by being alive—really drove the point home.

Just in time to get them motivated for a new loan cycle, our leaders of the GWOCO women’s loan program were able to join Kim on a trip to Uganda last week.

Braving their first flight and numerous, long car rides, the women made their way to Buyobo, where the head organization of the Women’s Microfinance Initiative was holding a graduation for more than 500 loan program participants.

While most of us might associate smoke-related health problems with cigarettes, everyday life creates harmful exposure for many Tanzanians.

Most houses here, especially those in rural villages, have no windows or very poor ventilation. Those factors coupled with open fires, which most people use for cooking, creates an extremely unhealthy environment.

After passing Loan Chairperson Josephine’s house dozens of times without ever stopping, we finally went over yesterday.

Josephine deftly makes holes in the goat skin before affixing beads to it.

Josephine, along with a couple of female family members, gave us a glimpse into a beading business she’s been operating for quite some time.

It was a classic mugging setup—two guys on a motorbike—and a classic, amateur move on my part—keeping a purse full of valuables on me after dark in an international city.

Though we technically had work off the past few days, our holiday weekend was nothing short of event-filled.