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Published: June 12th 2008
On Tuesday, Laura, Kayla and I went with Fred (who works for URF) to another school where his friend is the director. He told us they would be doing crafts and wanted us to see them so we thought we’d be helping kids draw or paint or seeing something of an art show. Turns out it was this whole big production/assembly with parents. We were given a tour of the whole school (lots of decorations and charts on the walls - gave us some ideas for our school) and then we were taken into a classroom and given front row seats as all the parents squished in behind us. Then the headmaster gave us an itinerary which said Speech by headmaster and then speech by Guests of Honor. Hmm, someone special is coming to the school? Pretty cool… turns out that was us! We were honestly treated like royalty or celebrities. The kids, parents, and teachers were all so welcoming and appreciative. It was amazing but rather sad because we aren’t any special people and we haven’t done anything great to deserve such attention and kindness.
The kids came in and sang and danced for us (pretty much all the songs
St. Gonzaga Primary School
The kids gave us gifts! We each got a little purse made by the kids, a small pot that we gave to our host family, and a box with lots of bananas. Soo sweet!included something like “welcome visitors” or “Welcome from America.” They were absolutely adorable. After our speech where we basically just introduced ourselves and said what we were doing in Uganda and thanked them for having us, the director spoke and said thank you for our gov’t and the American people who have done so much for Africa. I got tears in my eyes and thought “if only they knew” because our gov’t doesn’t do half (probably even 10%) of what it promises or what it should (in my opinion).
Then we all proceeded out to the “playground” (i.e. open grass area) where the kids all got together for a group picture from the photographer. Then the parents would get their kids and want a picture of their family taken with a mzungu (white person). This lasted for a long time and we just felt so weird because again, why are we that special? I think it’s also because they probably never get their picture taken, so hopefully they will receive copies of the pictures.
Basically, we were just astounded and blown away by the whole thing. It’s insane the conditions these schools and houses are in, and yet the people are still happy (at least on the outside). They have almost nothing compared to most people in the US, but they’re so grateful for what they do have and the small help they receive. Boggles my mind.
Anyway, just wanted to share that with you. Please pray for these children that they can make it through school and hopefully achieve better standards of living for themselves and their families and enjoy even just a few of the luxuries we have (clean water, books, both parents alive and healthy, and maybe a few toys here and there).
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Oswaldo
non-member comment
i want to be there!
mamazonga!!!!! (mzungu in puerto rican) is great u are seeing this with ur own eyes, not someone telling you and u just imagining. I have some pics of haiti in my feisbuc, with some ideas u can use in ur school. musical instruments are doable, just use ur imagination (percussion is african born). Remember that life is like that for more than half humans, so our standards are just for a few. That makes us the 'out of rule' or not common ones. They live 'happy' with what they have cuz that's what they need and do and know, although things can and most improve a lot. But it was normal, at least for my parents, to see people strugguling to get their kids to school or to find enough to eat, living life at its essence, without the topings we add. Thanks linda for showing us how it is in the rest of the world. bejinhos!