A Visit to a Local School

On Monday, October 9, I had a holiday from school. Uganda celebrated its “Independence from Dependence (England),” to quote our Pastor. Pam Sinclair, a missionary here with MTW (Mission to the World) took me and several other girls to visit an elementary school across town that was started in a community with a high percentage of orphans. The children, despite having a day off from school, attended school anyway because they knew we were visiting. We were rather overwhelmed and felt almost like celebrities when 200 children showed up to see us, many of which did not even attend the school (they just heard we were coming!)


The school, Kawempe Community Nursery School, was very bleak, consisting of dirty, cement floors adn walls, crude benches for desk, and tiny, open windows. On a typical school day, about thirty children are crammed into each tiny room. The children, ranging from ages 3-12, were so excited to see us. They all wanted to touch, hug, and hold our hands. I even had children “petting” my arms! They drew us pictures on newsprint torn in half with colored pencils and wrote about what they wanted to be when they grew up. Doctors and teachers were the most popular. One little boy wrote, “If I grow up I want to be a conductor.” (Someone who takes the money on a taxi.) The fact that he knows he has a chance of not making it to adulthood is heart wrenching to me. I had never heard a child say “If I grow up…” It’s always “When I grow up…”


We sang with the children outside (where there was a lovely breeze!) Paul, a Ugandan teacher from Heritage, came with us and helped lead the children in songs in their first language, Luganda. It was so cute to hear them sing, my favorite was a song about a Mango tree. We brought cupcakes for the kids that had to be split in ½ and some into ¼ so each child could be served. Sodas were also handed out to all the children they’re only 30 cents a bottle here!


Pam is organizing the collection of “Love Boxes” for the many orphans and poor children in this community. Some People/Churches in the states are helping to raise money, along with Heritage, to collect clothes, socks, shoes, medicine, school supplies and other basic necessities to be boxed up and given to these children for Christmas. Boxes will also be taken up to an orphanage in Gulu, where the LRA rebels have displaced many children. I will post more information soon on how/where to give money to help with the Love Boxes if you’re interested. (Unfortunately supplies are way too expensive to ship over here from the states!) There are so many precious children here in need of the very basics, including the gospel of Jesus Christ. We pray that we can make a difference and share his love with just a few!