Our last week in the Village seems to have snuck up on
us! It’s hard to believe we only have three more days here before we begin the
journey back home – stopping for a safari first :) The time we have gotten to
spend pouring into these orphaned and destitute children has really been
life-giving and life-changing. It will be so sad to say goodbye to the children
in a few days, but I am so grateful for the time we have left with them! Most
of the younger children have been out of school this week, so we’ve had a lot
more time to help them with their chores, read books and play games with them.
We’ve also been going into the classes that are still in session (Primary 5 and
Primary 6) to work on math skills.
 |
| Helping Mama Norine mop the floors |
I feel like we’ve made the most of our last days in the
Village this week, taking time to appreciate the mamas for all they do to love
on and take care of these children, spend an afternoon at the home of a staff
member to learn more about Ugandan culture, and go visit the sick and injured
in the hospital.
We’ve actually had the opportunity to go to the hospital
on two occasions during our time here and it has been very eye-opening. When
most people hear about diseases in Africa they probably think of AIDS, but it
was so sad to see the hospital full of children and adults suffering from so
many different sicknesses, most of which were actually Malaria – a preventable
disease! There are several organizations in Africa helping with the prevention
of diseases like Malaria, Typhoid and AIDS, which is great, but I don’t think I
realized just how big of a battle it is to overcome those diseases here.
Looking into the eyes of some of those children who are starving to death
because Malaria is preventing them from being able to keep anything in their
system, or meeting a 7-year old girl suffering from AIDS who has been living at
the hospital for the last month – though progress has been made in Africa, this
is still happening. I know it won’t be fixed overnight, but meeting those who
are suffering put a sense of urgency on my heart. There are ways to prevent
this: buying mosquito nets, sending over anti-Malaria medication, etc.… I know
the task at hand seems more than I can bear at times, but if we all come
together to help fight this battle, I believe we can make a change for the better.
The time I spent in Uganda, the places I visited, the
children whose faces I will never forget, the cultural experiences I had will
continue to shape me as I carry on in this journey of life. Soon enough I’ll be
back in San Diego to finish out the last year of my Master’s program. I hope
and pray that my life will be marked by this summer in Uganda, that I will
always keep things in perspective and be able to see what is really important in life.
♥ mk
