End of last year I quit my job and went travelling; the mid-life crisis* kicked in. I did similar travel before but this time it was different. This time it was time for Africa!
I always wanted to go, but had never been. The continent was always quietly sitting on the map below the Mediterranean, stretching faaar over the equator. Patiently waiting for me to take the time and courage to discover it.
Before arriving to Uganda to check on ML Rwebandira I took some time (half a year to be precise) to visit Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda. All of them awesome chapters of the great book called Africa.
I am amazed how many interesting stories this continent has to tell. And they are success stories. Imagine my surprise. We Europeans only get news from Africa when it’s bad. Like civil wars or virus outbreaks …
Happily ignoring the ridiculous ebola scare, I finally drove to Uganda, with the famous Lake Bunyonyi as my first destination. And Edirisa was my first stop. ML was not there (because he actually lives in Rwanda, ha) but Brenda welcomed me warmly and showed me the lodge preparing to accept a group of volunteers.
The Gorilla Highlands region immediately overwhelmed me with beautiful scenery and beautiful people. I took several walks through different communities. I saw smiling faces. Innocent and sincere. All curious what this “Muzungu” is doing here. And we started talking. And then magic happened. I have so many new friends now.
I learned so much about life during this trip, and I am grateful to your people for teaching me that. Also happy to be able to give them something back. So that success stories can write new chapters …
Thank you, Africa!
*According to Wikipedia, a midlife crisis is a period of intense self-reflection, identity shifts, and emotional turbulence that typically occurs between the ages of 40 and 65. (I’m 50.) It is often triggered by the realisation of aging, confrontation with mortality, and feelings of discontentment with past life choices or unachieved goals. (Will I ever be a marketeer again?)
🖋️ text and 📸 photography by:
Luka Klemen caught the African virus in 2022 yet it took four years to incubate! That’s when Luka read an interview with ML Rwebandira and said to himself “l have to go to Africa” but it was only in 2026 when the time was ripe. He was sick and tired of his professional life – 25 years in marketing and advertising – and took a mid-life crisis break. He spent six months in Africa before even reaching our region, and the virus is now raging in his body, together with infatuation with photography. Officially, though, he is still a resident of Ljubljana, Slovenia. [bio updated: 2026-06]
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