The life work of Barbara Wybar, a 78-year-old resident of Chestnut Hill, isn't local to Philadelphia. It isn't local to Pennsylvania or even the United States. To locate the roots of Wybar's life work, one must visit the village of Bududa in Uganda, a mountainous country in East Africa.

What began as a single visit to Africa more than 20 years ago has transformed into a passion project for Wybar, who typically flies to Bududa twice a year to visit Bududa Vocational Academy, the school she helped found. On Jan. 29, Wybar will journey to Uganda again, but this time with a new friend: Jean Warrington, a 74-year-old Chestnut Hill resident.

Building the foundation 

Wybar first visited Africa in 2003 with friends Peter Yeomans and Kate O'Shea. The trip was led by David Zaremka of the African Great Lakes Initiative of the Friends Peace Teams, a global grassroots Quaker organization that creates peace-building programs. Wybar saw a village that lived simply, without electricity or running water, and she felt compelled to empower locals through education.

After three years of work, Bududa Vocational Academy opened in 2006, focusing on providing practical skills for employment. Not long after the school opened, Wybar discovered an administrator was misappropriating funds raised for the school. Taking matters into her own hands, Wybar moved to Uganda and stayed for five years. Although the corruption forced Wybar and others to relocate the academy, the school quickly recovered and has continued to grow.

Bududa Vocational Academy offers programs in tailoring and sewing, carpentry, bricklaying, nursery education, hairdressing and motor vehicle repair. About 200 students attend the school and must take coursework in English, Swahili, entrepreneurship and computers.

An ongoing commitment 

Beyond her work with the vocational school, Wybar supports the Children of Bududa program. As one of the world's poorest regions, Bududa faces many challenges, including caring for orphaned and vulnerable children. The Children of Bududa program goes beyond providing basic needs, pairing children with sponsors and offering one-on-one counseling.

While in the United States, Wybar dedicates time to fundraising for the vocational school and orphans. Local businesses such as Gaffney Fabrics in Germantown contribute as well, providing fabric to the school's tailoring department.

"Last year, we made outfits for almost all of our orphans with Gaffney's fabric," Wybar says.

Having fallen in love with Bududa herself, Wybar hopes to show others what makes the village special. Each year, she seeks Americans to accompany her to Uganda.

Recruiting others 

Wybar met Warrington while volunteering to clean the schoolyard at John S. Jenks School last November. They bonded over their backgrounds as former educators and members of different Quaker meetings. When Wybar mentioned her work in Bududa, Warrington was intrigued.

"I thought, 'What a perfect way to visit a village in Africa with someone who has lived there five years and who is hands-on and adventuresome,'" Warrington says.

Warrington says the culture and way of life in Uganda interested her. And learning that the entire continent of Africa contributes just 4% of global carbon emissions made her want to experience life there.

Preparing for the trip 

Before Wybar can show Warrington around Bududa, they've had to complete several preparations. They've been working on their travel documents, and both women have received vaccinations against typhoid, yellow fever, tetanus and malaria. Having contracted malaria once while living in Uganda, Wybar is not eager to get the disease again.

Warrington and Wybar have been collecting new and used laptops, cellphones and eyeglasses to bring on their trip. They will each pack two 50-pound bags of materials for the school and orphans.

In Uganda, they will make a daily mile-long walk on a dirt road from Wybar's small house to the vocational school. According to Wybar, they will spend most of their time "attending and leading assemblies and board meetings, observing classes, and witnessing the opening of our new agriculture department."

They will also help arrange plans for administrators from Bududa Vocational Academy, including Chief Operating Officer Robert Kotaki, to visit North America in May.

Beyond the approximately $1,400 round-trip airfare, their daily expenses will only be $30. Warrington plans to stay in Uganda for two weeks, while Wybar will remain for five weeks. However, Wybar notes that everyone who visits Bududa wants to stay longer.