By Kelsey Lynch, Swimming World College Intern
KINGSTON – University of Rhode Island senior captain Emily Thomesen dedicated 10 weeks of her summer in 2014 to listening to the voices of young mothers in Uganda, a country torn by war between the government and rebels.
A Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences double-major now finished with URI’s Honors Program, Thomesen has excelled in both her studies and competition.
In February 2013, at the Atlantic 10 Championships, sophomore Thomesen stepped up on the third-place podium after her 200-yard backstroke to accept her medal as a completely different woman than she is today. She finished with a time of 2:00.12, crushing URI’s previous 200-yard backstroke varsity record. A year later, Thomesen decided to immerse herself into the culture of a warn-torn country in order to interview young mothers about the injustices they face in Uganda.
But Thomesen was surprised by what she found in the people she met during her stay. She found they had joy, and hope for change.
“That was the last thing I expected to find in a place torn by war and poverty. Joy.” Thomesen said.
Thomesen worked with ChildVoice International, a non-profit organization with a mission to restore the voices of children who are silenced due to war. The service project included analyzing the cultural norms that relate to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), as stated on her Tumblr blog where she documented her experience.
In Adjumani, Uganda, Thomesen helped to collect initial data to start a trauma counseling center for the young mothers that were at a refugee camp for the South Sudanese.
Thomesen spoke with mothers who were displaced from their homes because of the incessant, extreme violence in Uganda between the government and Lord’s Resistance Army. These women were abducted by the LRA and held as sex slaves, many birthing children while they were, essentially still children themselves. Ultimately Thomesen found that while the fighting may be over, the culture of war is still prevalent; the injustices these women face are caused by “the degradation of their traditional culture and the acceptance of war-culture,” she said.
Upon her arrival in Uganda, she said it was a “massive culture shock…I went from living in a house with running water to a hut with a grass roof and had to collect my water from a well…and the language barrier was difficult.” But she said these hardships allowed her to grow, and she learned to speak Acholi, a southern dialect of Uganda.
“Going into refugee camps, seeing mass starvation, and hearing stories or war I expected to lose this faith. Yet…all I found was hope,” says an excerpt from Thomesen’s blog in August.
She said she was able to connect with both the mothers and children in the village. “Everything was so simple and full of joy for them [the children],” Thomesen said. The children loved piggy-backs and being thrown into the air; she would also spend time at the well to bond and form relationships with the mothers.
Thomesen said she never laughed so deeply and genuinely with people as she did this past summer. She said they would laugh together as they danced beneath the moonlight, learned each other’s languages, and played endless games of tag.
When it came time for Thomesen to leave her new friends, she already knew it was forever. There’s no way that she can contact anyone there, and even if she did return to Uganda, she wouldn’t know the locations of her friends. She’s currently trying to return in July for a few weeks with the same organization. Nothing is concrete just yet, but she is additionally looking for other opportunities to intern for various organizations.
When she returned to the U.S., she said she was able to reflect and realize what she’d just seen and how to grow from it.
“I had a father who supported my education…I have these skills that I want to use to serve them so they can also have access to health care, security, and education,” Thomesen said. She said she’s not the same person as when she left for Uganda.
As an athlete, Thomesen recognizes that sports have a strong cultural importance in the U.S. and around the world, and that their actions, whether negative or positive, are magnified to the larger community. She wants to mirror this and reflect the hope and compassion she saw in the people of Uganda and bring it to her own community and team.
Finding hope among a war-torn country seems impossible, but URI’s Scholar Student-Athlete Thomesen was able to find faith through the people living in Uganda, as they were the ones holding the hope.
Kelsey Lynch is a senior Journalism major and Writing minor at the University of Rhode Island, swimming distance freestyle on URI’s Division I team throughout her collegiate career. Before Rhode Island, Kelsey trained at Cape Cod Swim Club in Buzzards Bay, Mass. for 10 years.
Wow, what a life changing experience! Congrats on the 200 back record!
Well written, relevant!
Really Great article about a very amazing young lady. I’ve always felt as an educator that Americans between 18-21 should be required to spend at least 6 months in a country that did not speak English. Sort of like the military draft was years ago, except more like Peace Core. Again great writing job Kelsey!
Great article– and I agree with Joe… An experience like this will forever change a young adult’s life… in a positive way!
In today’s turmoil, it’s easy to forget all the good that is being done by quiet people. Thanks for the uplift!
Great article!