The white savior mentality is hard to eradicate. It’s a mindset that white people are taught in schools, in religious organizations, in film, in books, and even at home. It’s a mindset that we are not often encouraged to question or examine.

Our shared goals with our Ugandan partner communities have always been self-sufficiency and sustainability. However, we couldn’t focus on the future of attaining these goals until basic needs for students and their families were met. Here’s how we are laying a foundation for education for all by first collaborating with Ugandan community members on sustainable solutions that secure access to water, food, shelter, and electricity.

Ugandan builders know how to work with materials from the earth. They have a long history of making bricks out of mud and clay. This hyperadobe build employed the same mentality but used a different method that didn’t require drying or baking bricks.

As a Boulder County nonprofit working in Uganda, we recognize that our methods and practices must be different so as not to perpetuate a White Savior mentality but instead foster collaboration and community.