Emma Outteridge was born into the America's Cup world and spent her twenties running Louis Vuitton's international sailing hospitality program. While rubbing shoulders with celebrity athletes and billionaire sponsors had its charms, over time Emma craved something more. In 2009, aged 25, she moved to KAASO, a primary school for HIV/AIDS orphans in Uganda, naively intent - like so many eager volunteers before her - on giving back and 'saving the world'. However, this is not a story of scraping the surface on a token voluntourism jaunt, but a life-long love affair, demonstrating how Emma found a way to marry her two worlds, building a bridge between the international sailing community and a rural East African village.
While working there, Emma was asked by a young student, Henry, whether she might sponsor the rest of his education. Initially hesitant to make such a commitment, she would go on not only to sponsor Henry, but also to fundraise and find sponsors for another 70-odd children.
This is a polished memoir of transformation - it begins with a naive young girl travelling to the developing world, armed with a passion to make a difference. As time passes, Emma learns that while there is no one way to 'save the world', there are some ways to do so that are better than others.
Her narrative voice is very relatable, with a wry humour throughout as she makes mistakes and learns along the way. The book spans a decade, chronicling Emma's journey from wide-eyed volunteer to someone whose life is deeply rooted within her Ugandan village community.
Her book is a call to action for people to open their eyes to the tough lives that others are living in far-flung places. She brings these otherwise unheard stories to life by telling them from her own first-hand experience of living in those communities.
Emma also shares personal insights into her life growing up in the America's Cup world, her time working for Louis Vuitton on international sailing events and her struggle for identity in the years that followed, as she travelled the world in support of her husband, America's Cup skipper and Olympic gold medallist Nathan Outteridge.
