okutuuka

Tens of thousands of African students leave their homes each year to receive university educations in China, drawn by fantastic programs with low (and sometimes no) tuition fees for qualifying scholars. Due to the high cost of travel, however, it is not uncommon for students to return home only after the completion of their studies. Upon departure, students and their families must say goodbye, not to be reunited for years.

My sister-in-law, Titi, is pursuing her medical degree in China. She is the third child in her family to do so. This September, she left Uganda along with her mother, Grace, to get settled and ready for the next six years of her life. Uganda was the only soil Titi had ever known, never before taking a plane ride. Grace hadn’t been outside the country in nearly 30 years.

I had the privilege to accompany them and document their journey—one of growth, loss and acceptance as told through the relationship between a mother and her youngest child. The feature documentary, okutuuka, is now in post-production,