When I was little, I was set on becoming a movie star. Besides my love of acting, I wanted to do what all good celebrities seemed to do— travel the world to raise awareness for worthy causes and giving generously to those in need. Why wouldn’t anybody choose this lifestyle?

By the time I reached college my acting career had failed to pan out. But my interest in making a difference strangely lingered.

So no paparazzi followed me to Kampala.

And I certainly didn’t fly business class. My entourage only consists of a handful of other students who work in a variety of Ugandan NGOs. I’m no celebvocate ambassador for development…but I’ve come to realize this is actually great news. Development dollars shouldn’t be spent on fancy hotels or flattering photo ops. While we don’t yet have a magic formula to solve poverty or even to maximize the efficiency of foreign aid, tools already exist that are moving us closer to better development outcomes. The creative use of existing technology is now helping to connect programs and resources with the people who need them most (hint: not Hollywood A-listers).

As I stay longer in Kampala, I’m hoping to be better able to tackle the three big questions my organization asks about development: who is doing what, where, and with what effect? This journey has just begun— hopefully by the end of my time here I’ll be better able to understand the nuances of these questions. Though the spotlight won’t shine directly on me, I’m hoping to put the innovative development work being done in Kampala center stage.