I’ve been into Acholi Quarters twice in the past 2 days, and in that time have had lots of conversations with different folks about different things, and done a few PhD-related interviews (more on them another time) but 3 conversations in particular stand out.
The first happened yesterday and was a conversation with a number of the co-operative that I liaise with for all the Acholi-Quarters activities that I, and CRED, am involved in. The conversation yesterday was at the request of Harriet, the co-operative co-ordinator, who asked me to chat with the members about the importance of savings. The savings scheme has been up and running in the group for quite a while now, and initially there was great enthusiasm for it. But slowly by slowly, the enthusiasm waned a little, and as a result several of the members struggled to pay school fees at the start of term.
So, Harriet asked me to chat with the members about savings, and remind them of why they should save, the benefits and the challenges of saving, and the practicalities of their particular scheme. Knowing that the members between them actually knew pretty much all the information that they needed, I chose to ask lots of questions to draw the information out of them, rather than giving them a ‘lecture’.
The conversation that ensued was great, and by the end of the session, the enthusiasm for saving seemed to have picked up again. Obviously, the proof of how good the session was will come when monies deposited for savings starts to go up again, in a sustained way. But, it was good to at least get the thought processes going and inspire some improvements from current practices.
The second conversation was with a more select group of ladies who were wanting to chat about an idea they’ve had for setting up a new income generating scheme. It’s all to do with making soaps, gels and perfumes, and apparently it is a market that is growing rapidly over here. The ladies present were so enthusiastic about the scheme, and there were some great discussions about identifying the market, developing a product that is just a bit different from all others so as to stand out from the crowd in a good way, different roles for different members. Again, I asked pertinent questions to ensure that the conversation was wide-ranging enough to cover all aspects of the scheme. I also threw in some thoughts re business plan, team work and other generic aspects, as I certainly can’t speak into the process of soap and gel making!!!
That conversation was so lovely to be part of. The camaraderie, the team spirit, the generating of ideas, the enthusiasm – it was all fab, and included the sort of hope and dreaming that you might find in any start-up group who are batting ideas around, whether sitting in a plush office space, or in a coffee shop sipping latte’s, or as we were, sitting on the floor in a little room, with all the sounds and smells of informal living swirling around us. It was great, and I look forward to journeying with the ladies in this.
The third conversation was a much sadder affair. Two weeks ago I heard about a young mum, who had 4 children under 9 years and was only 24 years old herself. The two youngest of the children were twin girls, just over 2 years old, and 2 weeks ago one of the twins died. The remaining one was also sick, but seemed to rally a little, and was discharged home. Sadly, today I heard that this twin also had died in the early hours. Not surprisingly the mum is devastated and feeling completely broken. To add to the pain, the landlord had thrown them out of their home, and so she is now living nearby but in a different community where she doesn’t know anyone. The ladies from the Acholi community are supporting as best they can, but it’s much harder when there is a main road to cross between them and her and her two remaining children.
It’s hard to know how to respond in situations such as this. Obviously prayer is one way, and sitting and listening and being alongside is another important act. But I’m also aware that I can afford to pay off the hospital and related fees. However, is that the right response? Is it insensitive to ‘flash the cash’ in that way, or is it helpful, as it removes the additional worry and burden? My rule, in situations like this, is always to quietly and discretely discuss the financial issues with trusted individuals, and this time was no different. As a result, an appropriate response has been made, and I thank God that He has given me the resources to be able to help at this time.
My prayers go out to the mum, to the remaining children, and to the community at this time. I feel so honoured to have such a strong friendship and bond with the members of this group, and to be able to sit with them, to journey with them, to weep with them, to laugh with them, and to pray with them. May that journey continue for us all, even when the miles separate us.
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