The Cost of Love--Current Exchange Rates

My friend Odong Collins Otika, was waiting for me outside the gate of the IC intern house, as I woke up from a much needed nap after too little sleep in Kampala and the sizzling prawns doing battle with the 3 immodium for control of my body. When it comes to this subject, I usually try to keep my system aligned with Newton's first law of motion--- a body at rest tends to stay at rest.

Any way back to Collins, he told me that he was sent home from Awere SS, because his school fees were not paid. He was there in blue slacks, a great Awere sleeveless sweater, and a silver color watch. Everything about him looked smart. (Smart here means a sharp dressed man or woman). There was just one problem, it was Monday 2 days before exams and he was not in school.

I made plans to meet him today at 8 a.m. outside the IC house. Had a good night's sleep, decided to go with middle bunk instead of lower one, shaved my beard, and had a great Dorene supper. This morning, Collins and I met and started the walk from the IC house to Awere. I told him that this 15 minute walk is my favorite in all of Africa.

You start at the IC house,and are often greeted by the little ones yelling Munu from across the street. You cross a busy road as Gulu is waking up and becoming this enormously busy city. You see Prison primary and the tremendous amount of students heading there for school. (Trisha, Adam, and all the other T/EX alums--Prison Primary has a new fence, and a brand new coat of bright yellow paint--It actually looks good). Walked by the Prison Primary latrine, still the worst smell in Africa, but today that awful smell had so much nostalgia in it--that it well, how can I say ---It still stank!!!
Then the bore hole, and many people working hard to get water for the day. Past the tree, where the old man watched over the bore hole, with a 3-legged chair in 2007. And then my favorite, whole families on one motor bike, the pre-schooler on the handlebars with the brightly colored student uniform, dad manning the bike, little brother in his shorts and no shoes smiling impishly at me as they pass, and older sister smiling too, but smiling in a way that she knew the world she was entering into was full of promise for young women--A Uganda, and a world that would be much different for her than her mother. And the motorbikes and the families keep rolling over bumpy, mud roads. Now through Aloyo I Long (sp?)--or in English translation, "(Man with) Urine in Trousers"....still the funniest name, I have ever heard for a village, but people working hard, each sweeping a dirt road with branches, to make sure that their little 4 square meter patch in front of their store was clean. And finally up the hill and up the path, and there it is Awere SS, my first love. (And I think the first love of Abby (pronounced here Obby), Lauren, and Joanna). A place where in the worst of conditions over the last decade, hope has been kept alive, the education of young men and women remains, and teachers and head teachers work hard to keep their students reaching.

Collins and I arrived at school after this great walk.

The head teacher was not there yet, so I walked into the staff room to greet the faculty. Boniface, the deputy was there, of course he was smiling, and so was Komakech and a few other familiar faces. Matthew, the head teacher, soon showed up on his motorbike in a 3 piece suit and the Bursar also showed. Brief greetings with Matthew, and then to the business at hand. Collins needed 58,000 Ugandan shillings (58,000 /=) to take his exams for the second term, and a like amount was also needed for the third term. The itemized receipt told me it was 36,000/= for PTA (maybe the need to pay PTA teachers not funded by the government), 10,000/= for B/Fund (maybe books, I don't know), 4,000/= for games, 3000/= for ID Card, and 5000/= for others. All told 116,000 /= for two terms or $53 for 2/3 of the school year.

As I was thinking of converting this to American money, I was thinking about the price of love. At Awere SS, It takes about $78 to "love" your kid for a year, by giving the gift of education. Whereas, at Nerinx does that mean our parents "love" their kids 128 times more? Maybe it just means, that a pretty special group of parents are making sacrifices to make sure that their daughters, special kids themselves, are doing whatever it takes. Just like the parents of Collins, or Ronald, or Martin, or Samuel Baker--- but somehow the best they can do is sadly not enough, and buying casava in the market is a much more pressing need then education.

Or maybe, I am just wondering why if education can be bought for $78 a year, why isn't our world making sure this happens first?

So today, maybe my final thoughts is to thank those that love you, and pray for those that need help "loving" their children.


Still thinking and trying my best to find solutions to problems,

John