We went abroad… AND STAYED!

Meet three women who left the UK to make the world a better place – and found a new home

- KIM WILLIS

‘A PASSPORT TO AN INCREDIBLE LIFE’

Charlotte Beauvoisin left London for Uganda in 2009 to work as a Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) volunteer with the Uganda Conservation Foundation. And 12 years later, she’s still there.

Approaching Entebbe Airport, bright orange sunshine filled the plane. I felt like the sun was rising over Africa and my new life. I was a little nervous and very excited. In London, I had a corporate job in infrastructure and a long-term relationship, but the end of the relationship reignited my dream of visiting Africa. VSO was a passport to an incredible life. I didn’t know anything about Uganda beyond Idi Amin, Lake Victoria and mountain gorillas, but I had a feeling I might stay longer than my two-year placement.

I felt bad for leaving my wonderful family in the Cotswolds, and Mum was upset when it hit her that I might not be coming back, but they were, and remain, so supportive. I was passionate about the environment and animals, and the role of marketing development manager for the Uganda Conservation Foundation summed up everything I wanted.

There was a lot to learn, but a culture shock stretches you. I wanted to record every experience, so I started a blog called Diary of a Muzungu (which means ‘foreigner’ or ‘aimless wanderer’).