I’m in Uganda leading a remarkable team of
young people, and associated adults, on the first CRED Team Trip to work solely
with the Acholi people.
I’ve been here many times before, with
various teams, visiting various projects, and usually we incorporate a visit to
the Acholi quarters – to have a bit of a walk round the community, see where
the quarrying is done, have a go at making the paper beads, and doing some
games with the children. But this is the first time we have come with the
Acholi community as our primary focus. And so far it has been very good indeed!
Having come here so many times, I have a
strong affinity for these people, and their story of internal displacement,
poverty, lack of land rights etc. Their welcome has always been generous with
smiles, songs, hugs, and time, especially from the ladies cooperative with whom
we link. The children swarm around us, and lap up the attention, enthusiasm and
energy that teams bring when they run 2 or 3 hours of games and activities.
But coming here this time has felt
different in many positive ways. For me one of the first things I noticed was
in the ladies, and how they had risen to the occasion of organizing the
children, sorting out translators, ensuring there is a mid-morning drink of
porridge and fulfilling some of the other requests I had made in order for the
programme to run smoothly. Yes, John Njendahayo, my Uganda link extraordinaire
played no small part in making this happen, but the Acholi ladies just seem to
have grown within themselves as well. Their confidence, and self-belief seem
greater, and whilst I don’t want to big us up in any way, I am sure that part
of this will be due to the knowledge that a team from the UK value and love
them enough to come and invest a week of time, energy and resources in them and
their children.
The other key difference was in the
children and their behavior. All previous teams, as I said, have focused on
games and activities, and so excitement levels were always high with lots of
boisterous and very physical play leading to regular chaos.
But today we saw a different side. Today we
saw their hunger for education, and their sheer delight in being able to sit
and read letters and words, to recite the alphabet, to recognize numbers and be
able to demonstrate the little bits of reading and writing that they have
acquired over their various young lives. Worksheets just aren’t welcomed in the
same way by children who have unlimited access to education – but give them to
children who usually have to spend their days watching others go to school, and
who usually have to stay home to due to lack of funds and mind the younger
siblings, fetch the water, fill endless hours with little to do – then
worksheets, and all other teaching tools are devoured with smiles and
attention.
What a privilege to see and be part of the
transformation that can come to individuals and communities through empowering,
equipping and valuing others. What a privilege to put into practice the second
most importnant commandment as given by Jesus ‘love your neighbor as yourself’
and to put it into practice over here with these lovely, inspiring, beautiful
people.
No comments:
Post a Comment