There he lay, right arm stretched out above his head and the other tucked unnaturally by his side. Fresh branches blocked off the section of the road where he had been knocked, a few people gathered around as they waited for the police to come. He must have been only 9 years old. I only saw him for a moment as my friend Melissa and I rode past on the boda. Up ahead life continued as normal, people going about their evening activities oblivious to the tragedy that had happened mere metres from them.
Such situations are too common. There are three in particular that stick in my mind. In the first week of this month I was actually having a fantastic time, as my sister-in-law Rebecca treated Bryan and I with a visit. In that same week unfortunately, were the death of baby Gladys from the Jinja Pregnancy Crisis Centre (JCPC), who was new to the program; the loss of 22 year old Joel to AIDS, who we were acquainted with through Jude and her adopted daughter Barbara; and Dassan, the biological father to Ashley’s adopted daughter Diana, who died in an accident taking his niece to the clinic. The loss of Dassan was the saddest for me, because I love Ashley and Diana and I knew Dassan for about 4 years. However, it also made me think on what a blessing his last few years have been. At the time Ashley started fostering Diana, both baby and father were on death’s door. Dassan has since been active in TASO (The AIDS Support Organisation), been a loving father as Ashley kept him very much involved in their lives, and he had fallen in love to a fellow TASO member and was due to be married.
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| JCPC founder Carolyn and worker Sarah |
Death comes so easily. This is a big reason why groups like the JCPC are an invaluable social support. The mothers are given increased health for their pregnancy and early breast feeding months with a weekly bag of food. This small material contribution keeps women out of the dust bins, enables them to produce breast milk, and keeps them connected to their families who otherwise see them as a burden. Overall, I’m against handouts, but there is a place for it in cases like these where a baby’s life will be saved and a mother-child relationship nurtured. Most significantly, the mothers are also set up better for long-term health with weekly trainings on health, lifestyle and parenthood; as well as an applicable Bible message. Remember that Uganda doesn’t have social welfare – NGOs are the social welfare. I’ve been visiting since ending with Water Missions a month ago. Carolyn and Bob left for furlough last week, so now Sarah and I have been running the groups. It’s mostly Sarah; I’m just helping and hopefully will be a good encouragement to her over these couple of months.
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| Sarah teaches on TB |
There are 4 groups of ladies. Monday mornings are for planning the week, Monday afternoon is the most interactive group, Tuesday morning and afternoon have groups, and Wednesday morning there is a group out in Nyenga which I’m yet to attend. Sarah and I had a great session last Tuesday afternoon, where the topic of husbands came up. I was trying to show how the God of the Bible is the same as the God who wants to be active in every aspect of their lives, and so had asked for testimonies. One girl, 16 year old Shamim, had shared how her baby healed when she prayed. The others kept quiet, so I asked what they would like to see or learn over the coming week. One lady, Sarah with baby Nalite – the cutest Karamajong baby I’ve ever seen – said she wants her husband (which just means he’s the father of the baby; the terms husband, wife and married are used loosely in Uganda) to come back to her. The others laughed, except Aisha who rebuked them, stating that “isn’t that what all of us want”. This opened the door to be able to talk about what to look for in a man, taking ones time, and who to be in order to attract a man in the right way for a long-term relationship. It was such a blessing to have this deeper conversation with them. They’ve shared with Sarah and Carolyn, but I am new to them so I’ve not earned their trust yet. Looks like we’re heading down that path though...
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| Faith with baby Catherine, pregnant Naiki, Florence |
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| Harriet (Maama Mercy) and Harriet with her twins and baby Kiiza |
Please pray for:
- Ashley, Diana and Agnes (Ashley my Canadian friend and her 2 to-be-adopted girls) as they deal with the loss of Dassan, who was like family to all of them
- The family of the anonymous boy who was hit by a car on Friday night
- Direction for Bryan and I
- The long-term impact of the teachings for the ladies and their children
Thank God for:
- Rebecca’s visit and the great time of relaxation and chats we had
- The healthy mothers and babies at JCPC and the opportunity I have to serve there
- That Bryan and I have lots of good social opportunities at the moment, with the short-term return of Melissa (Tukula founder and director) and Yvonne
- The life we have
Blessings, Emily
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| Magdalene's baby JJ and Lydia's twins Kennedy and Kenneth |
P.S. And a quick update, as I didn’t get online to send this yet. Tuesday afternoon I asked the ladies if anyone had testimonies from our discussion last week. They did! Aisha has not been getting along with baby Comfort’s father, however he did bring soap, sugar and 3,000/=. Then Shamim, who had said she didn’t want to see the man again, did try getting in contact with him. At first she couldn’t get through, but on Monday he picked the call. During group she got a call from her grandma that he had come to visit, but he’ll return another day when she’s around. She was delighted, it was a precious moment to witness.
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