I never thought that my time here in Uganda this year would ever look like this. I thought my time would be spent exclusively working with the Watoto babies home which was more than enough for me because those children give me so much joy. But God has blessed me so much more and has given me so many more opportunities to which I am so grateful for.
My last blog touches on the book drive project that I’ve started because of the need I saw at one school about 40 mins outside of Kampala. I have been working with North Ward School in my home town to raise books and money to help start a library in this school and many others.
On January 6th my brother and his girlfriend traveled from Canada to visit me for two weeks and were more than happy to transport five hockey bags full of books that I would then distribute to various schools here in Uganda. Thank you so much Levi and Camille for this great gift, without your wiliness to bring these books over this would have been impossible.
Last week I met with the Gulu district educational director to see which school in this area would need the books the most and with little hesitation he named one off. This school is filled with about 100 students and is held in a mud hut that the parents of the surrounding village took the time and energy to build for their children. I also asked him what was most needed in terms of supplies and he basically said they have nothing. With the money raised by North Ward School I went out and bought the teachers note books to do lesson plans, pens, pencils, erasers, chalk, notebooks for the students and binders for administration purposes. The educational director then said we could go on Monday to visit the school, meet the parents and talk to them about donating books to help educate their students. So this past Monday I went to visit the school. It was about an hour drive on a road that leads out of town and then about a half hour drive from the main road down a very small path into the village. The drive down the path was really amazing, I was able to see very many children out playing, fetching water and working in the fields with their families. As the road got more and more overgrown by bush the director said we are nearly there. Then off in the distance I saw this big mud hut that looked like it could be a community hall for the village. As I stared at this building that looked like it could collapse any moment he said “There it is. That’s our school.” I knew I would be going to see a school that was in great need of supplies but to come to a school that was in great need of a building almost made me break down and cry.
As we pulled beside the school people surrounded our car to welcome us and as I stepped out of the truck I had many hands outstretched to welcome me to their school. After a few minutes we were asked to come into to the school and I was given one of the three chairs in front of many students and many more parents. As I sat down the entire room filled with a beautiful song of welcome. As the ladies cried out it took everything in me to stop the tears from falling.
These people have so much joy yet so little of everything else. Their joy seeps through them in song, through their smiles and through their beautiful eyes.
They spent a few moments introducing the key people who made this school happen, including the teachers, the builders and then the man that donated the land that the school sits on. This was all being explained in Acholi so one of the men I went with so generously translated it all for me. And then something I was not expecting to happen, he asked me to step forward and tell the people who I was and what I was here to do. And so as I stood to my feet the whole group erupted in song once again and then I began to speak to the group. As I spoke I realised I needed to pause as the translator tried to follow my words. This was such a new and very interesting experience for me, something I will never ever forget.
Once I finished speaking to the group I went out of the school and brought in all the supplies that were purchased and as I handed them over to the head teacher my heart filled with so much joy knowing that they would be used to do so much good in the lives of those children.
I was then given the opportunity to spend some time with the students as the directors spoke with the parents about formal matters concerning the school. These children just lite up my world! Their faces were so bright and filled with so much joy and happiness. I knew in my heart that many of them have little to no possessions and most of them have experienced going to bed hungry on many occasions but the only thing that mattered to them in that moment was having fun, making silly faces and making a new friend.
I will be going back to this school in the coming weeks to deliver the books that were donated by the students of North Ward School. I cannot wait to see the faces of the children and teachers as they see the great gift that we have for them. These books will change the lives of these people and these people will and have already changed my life!
Thank you so much North Ward School for your help to make this dream of mine come true. I can’t wait to see what else we can do for countless schools in this beautiful country Uganda.
