Walk to Atanga SS

Walk to Atanga SS

Saturday, July 26, 2014

A Broke American in a Developing Country

     Yesterday, I was walking around with 1.8 million in my back pocket.  it would have been nice if it had been dollars, but that amount of money is staggering when compared to some people I this work force.  I had 2 years pay for the server at Butterflies who brings me beans and rice.  The people collecting empty plastic bottles would have to collect probably over 10,000 bottles. I am not sure but it looks like the old women sell about 20 bottles a day.  They sit by the gas station with an inventory of less than 20 each day.

       I think it is good to just be aware of what we truly do have and make some decisions in our life that reflects that awareness.  Each morning, I was  not quite finishing my one piece of bread, it is a little denser and a little tougher to chew then our bread.  Then I read the book Unbroken and after 200 pages of Japanese prison camp starving, I now eat the entire piece of bread. Since coming back from Pajule,  I think my most expensive meal has been around 3 dollars,  I am consciously thinking as 8 order.  And yet, I am full and never hungry.  It is getting near the end and the 1.8 million that went to school fees has forced me to plan the last couple of weeks.  I asked  this week, a student I have known for awhile if he is ever hungry. No words came from his mouth and tears walled up in his eyes.  What do you do with that...I pray.  I thought in the month of May I had a good chance  at two teaching jobs, that I did not get and now as I see my friends here, I suffer from just an overwhelming frustration.

      I carry the sadness of my teaching career probably being over, but that sadness is small compared to how I feel that I should have could have done something different to get those jobs.  I know my failure in those arenas, has caused me to fail my Acholi brothers and sisters.  Ronald,  a wonderful young man, is now almost ready for his second year at Gulu.  I feel good that with your help we were able to make that happen.  Ronald was so prepared for our visit.  he gave me a itemized list of year two expenses, a description of his entire family in the same order that I remembered them from our wonderful lunch, and he also brought me a letter from his friend who shared a meal with us.  The friend asked if I could support him also.  I had to tell Ronald at this time I could not do it,   This young man was abducted by the rebels in P6 (roughly sixth grade) and spent two years before he was able to escape the brutality of this violence.  This is the one I told to wait. Wait.

      On Tuesday, about seven of us went to dinner at Pagoda's, I had the chicken fried rice. It was good, 7000/= (less than 3 dollars).  On the way, there we walked by the used plastic bottle sellers and two young boys were in a dispute.  As they wrestled, the one kicked his rival's box of bottles into the street.  The other soon returned the favor. As we gave them a wide berth and moved past them, a large truck went down the street and you could hear the sound of the truck destroying the plastic bottles.   I think that sound will stay with me for awhile....just a senseless waste.  And in their argument, both boys saw all that they had worked for that day lost.

       So pray for my friends in Uganda, I feel I have two few solutions today.

note: Sorry for the tone here. Often, as all of us have learned in Biloxi, when we see poverty up close it often just sucks. ....really sucks.  I am going to post picture of Isaac and Ronald tow shining stars in the Gulu night.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

i will become a teacher like you !