The past few days have been a bit tricky for me. The focus of the schedule has been visiting Acholi Quarters each day, and supporting a small team of wonderful folks from UK who have come out to give input to the community in various ways.
For me, AQ is such a special place. I feel so welcomed and accepted there, and it’s been such a privilege to be journeying with the community for so many years, watching the children grow, supporting the adults as they navigate the many challenges of their lives.
So, when I went on Sunday with the team and found that I just couldn’t manage the terrain without significant pain, and therefore had to sit out of the tour, and the games, and the activities – it was gutting. And then the next day the pain was still sufficient that I just didn’t attempt to go in, and so spent the day working away from the team.
Tuesday was a bit better and I went via another route to find them, but still it was a struggle. I was able to visit some friends in a different bit of AQ however, and that was a big treat. And then today I’ve found a little place where I can sit and work on the edge of AQ, and as a result have been able to have a really good and in-depth conversation with Harriet (my main contact in AQ) about various things when she came to find me.
The emotional rollercoaster of all this has been ongoing and tiring – trying to keep the upbeat attitude going for those who live in AQ and can’t do anything about the difficult terrain which is proving such a challenge, feeling frustrated at not being able to take part in all the activities, feeling tired of the pain that is still there, rejoicing that the team have still had a really good time and my injury hasn’t marred their trip too much, being grateful for all the interactions that I have been able to have despite my very limited access to elements of the programme.
Two conversations really helped put my minor challenges into perspective, and for these I am very grateful.
One was about a lad that we (CRED) have started supporting to go to school. He is 13 years old, and lives with his gran, along with 2 siblings and foster sibling. He used to go to school but had to drop out of school when his gran couldn’t cover his school fees anymore. This was due to her being knocked down by a motorbike taxi and sustaining significant injuries to spine and pelvis that mean she can no longer walk, and can therefore no longer work properly.
The lad, along with his older sister, was determined to get back to school, and so started going out at 4am to collect plastic bottles which can be exchanged for money. When I heard about this, CRED stepped in and said that we would cover his fees so that the pressure was off him. And that is what we did from the start of this year. Under Harriet’s advice we covered 75% of his fees, and the family just needed to top up the fees and pay for his pens, pencils, books etc. This is fairly standard to avoid a culture of dependency, and I always look to Harriet to advise as she knows the personal circumstances best.
But today I learned that he is still going out to collect bottles, as gran has deteriorated and can’t work at all, so the household are totally dependent on the lad and his siblings to collect enough bottles to cover the top up of school fees, and money for food. After chatting it through with Harriet, we agreed that the situation is now such that it is best for CRED to cover all of his fees and requirements, and that is what we will do going forwards.
The other conversation was about a lady who is HIV+ve, and is just struggling so much to afford the food that she needs on a daily basis so that her medications work well. This lady has 3 children of her own, and fosters 4 others. One of the children is also HIV+ve. She is a single mum, and has no regular work. She earns money where she can selling silver fish in the community, and if there are opportunities to sell other items then she will take those as well.
So she is doing all she can, but to find enough money to feed her household is proving to be too much. Even a very basic diet is feeling beyond her reach at times, and this has an impact on the effectiveness of her ARV drugs, and similarly for the child who is on ARV’s. It was so simply told to me, with no expectation of any particular support, but I came away determined to find a way to support this incredible woman who gives so much of herself for others, and just daily prays that there will somehow be enough to feed the family, and if possible with something left over for her.
Both the conversations were heart-rending to have, but I’m so glad that we were able to have them. Suddenly my injuries seemed very insignificant, and it was good to know that, despite them, I can still play my role in helping to make life just a little better for others.
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