Kampala, Gulu

March 2014 Uganda

The team was thrilled to welcome some powerful and passionate volunteers in Uganda. Academy Award winner and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Peace Forest Whitaker, former child soldier Okello Sam, and current and former NFL players Robert Quinn, Tommie Harris, Will Witherspoon, Sandarvis Duffie and Jack Brewer, joined the team, ready and excited to help give the gift of hearing.

Whitaker’s dedication to the people of Uganda found roots in his work on the film “The Last King of Scotland,” for which he won an Academy Award for portraying former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. Throughout filming, he immersed himself in the history and culture of Uganda and formed a powerful friendship with Sam, founder of Hope North, an organization dedicated to educating and healing the young victims of Uganda’s civil war.

Whitaker’s passion for improving the lives of others and deep empathy for the young boys and men forced to fight in Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army showed through during our hearing mission. During our time in Gulu, Hope North brought a group of 60 former soldiers who had all lost their hearing while forced to fight. Whitaker took his time with the soldiers, making sure to hear their stories and understand the impact of hearing loss on their lives. Once a connection was developed, he worked with the team to give them back their hearing.

Special Thanks

Forest Whitaker; Pros for Africa: Bill Horn, Robert and Christina Quinn, Tommie Harris, Will Witherspoon, Jack Brewer; Mark and Jennifer Adams; Lowell and Michelle Scott; LTSN; Jonathan Severn; Ret Templet

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