'It's not weird or foreign': the Ugandan monk bringing Buddhism to Africa – photo essay

Bhante Buddharakkhita, who became a Buddhist while studying in India, is on a mission to use mindfulness meditation to heal trauma

• Photographs by Eugenie Baccot

As the first Ugandan Buddhist monk, the most venerable Bhante Bhikkhu Buddharakkhita has ambitions to train 54 novices, one for every African nation.

I'm teaching Theravada Buddhism with African flavour to ensure people understand the Lord Buddha and don't see it as something weird, foreign and Asian," he says.