The Bright Side

Over the past two weeks, EAC supporters have been traveling to Kampala to see the wonderful work that Empower African Children does. The Kampala staff created a packed schedule of events for the visitors to attend to learn more about the culture of Uganda and understand how EAC is making a difference. So, Michael and I tagged along a few times and learned a lot ourselves. I'll highlight a few of the many experiences.

We visited Sharon's home. Sharon is one of the girls I went around with on report card day. She's very bright, always has a smile on her face, and is absolutely beautiful. Sharon has an infectious laugh that always cracks me up. She's fun to be around. At school, she's running to be a senator for her house. Needless to say, she's pretty amazing. Because of the great care that EAC provides and Sharon's graceful spirit, it's sometimes difficult for me to imagine her background. But, when we visited her house, I was quickly reminded.

After swerving through the bumpy, rugged, dusty of roads outside of Kampala, our bus finally arrived to the place Sharon called home. Outside, we were greeted by her mother and two brothers. Her aunts from Tanzania were visiting for a little while. We presented Sharon's mother with gifts of a chicken, matoke, bananas, sugar, and rice for her home. She was very appreciative and hugged each of us. I was a bit confused, because we were right in front of a bar. "Where is her home?" I wondered. As we edged forward, we approached a room that was attached to the noisy bar. That room was Sharon's home. With two bunk beds hidden by hung sheets, a neat stack of dishes, and a shelf holding a television that didn't work, everything that Sharon's family owned was contained in a room that only 5 people could see at a time. The room was cleaned from top to bottom, and everything had its specific place. Sharon's mother took great pride in making her house a home for herself and her 4 children. As victims of the genocide in Rwanda, this was home for them.

Outside, I began talking to Sharon's brother, Abbi. He's in primary school, and had on his freshly cleaned white and blue uniform. Above his knees, where his shorts stopped, were ink drawings on his legs. "What kind of drawings are those? Did your girlfriend draw those on you?" I asked, jokingly. "No, it's just where I did my math problem today." He giggled nonchalantly.

Abbi was very bright. He began to patiently teach me how to count in Luganda. He said I was a good student. He told me all about his school and how he enjoyed it. He looked up to Sharon because she was so smart and well-taken care of. It made him happy that she had a chance to get a quality education. Because of her, he wanted to continue to strive for better. He was soo proud of his sister and had so much joy when she arrived.

Despite how difficult life was for Sharon's family, they had a sense of happiness that I think many of the richest Americans don't hold. They may not possess a fancy house or brand-named clothes, but they do possess a spirit of resilience and understand the value of making the best. It's not helplessness, it's understanding the value of things that really matter. As Faith, an EAC student, told me, "We have much to be sad about, but we have even more to be happy about." It's inspiring to be surrounded by people who have such an optimistic view of life and understand how to look on the brightside.

Me and Sharon at the EAC office before heading out to her house.

-Nick