Reality.

This post was written in mid-October... but between mid-terms and preparing for our rural home-stays, it was never completed. Eventually there will be a post about my experience from Kapchorwa, where we were for the past week, but for now, experience Luwero.

This past weekend a group of us from USP traveled to Luwero, a region in central Uganda which has been devastated by past wars. The Luwero Triangle is the area from which the current president, Yoweri Museveni fought his guerilla war from 1981-1986, to take power of the government in 1986. The five-year war was bloody and devastating. Twenty-five years later people in Luwero are still deeply affected by it, both psychologically and physically. This area is one of the poorest in Uganda because the infrastructure and agriculture of the area were wiped out along with much of its population. This area is also one which contains one of the highest percentages of HIV/AIDS. We were able to hear from local church leaders and Ugandans who are working to build and strengthen their communities. This trip was beautiful. It was a mixture of sweet-faced kids and challenging testimonies. I felt so blessed to be a witness to it all.

We spent Saturday morning and afternoon loving and being loved by children of the community. We visited a Compassion International site in the small town of Nsawo which provides support and care to 270 kids within the community. We attended class, worshiped, and played with them. But most of all we loved each other. people in Luwero are still deeply affected by it, both psychologically and physically. This area is one of the poorest in Uganda because the infrastructure and agriculture of the area were wiped out along with much of its population. This area is also one which contains one of the highest percentages of HIV/AIDS. We were able to hear from local church leaders and Ugandans who are working to build and strengthen their communities. This trip was beautiful. It was a mixture of sweet-faced kids and challenging testimonies. I felt so blessed to be a witness to it all.

Sweet little Nakato stole my heart. She is a six-year old sweet-heart who had a grin that was too big for her face. She would melt me every time she looked up at me and smiled. We spent all day together hand in hand, skipping down the road, teaching each other songs, jumping over puddles, and sharing our laughter together. A game of duck-duck-goose brought me endless laughter because whenever I was ‘goose’ and switch spots with another kid within seconds Nakato would dart across the circle and find my lap. The way she showed me her love was such a gift to receive. It was neat to see the mutual-exchange of love, I was not just showing her love, she was showing me the same. Nakato certainly left fingerprints on my story here in Uganda.

Later that evening we heard from two church leaders; the Anglican Bishop of Luwero, Bishop Kisekka and Father Gerrie Wamala, a Catholic priest and brother to Emmanuel Katongole. Both leaders shared their experiences of working with and for people who are living through very challenging circumstances- still reeling from war, the dependency that subsequent government handouts has created, the influx and devastation of HIV/AIDS and lack of education/resources. The Bishop spoke of the holistic approach to his work, empowering people to rebuild their own communities and providing for their physical as well as spiritual needs.

Father Gerrie spoke of, and radiated hope. He brought with him a young woman who was born HIV+. He has walked with her and encouraged her as she struggled through the loss of her parents, her own diagnosis, the challenge of high school and the painful stigma that came with her disease-- a disease she did nothing to earn. Maggie graduated top in her class, and today is on a government funded full scholarship to university in Kampala. She has hope and a future.

I was so moved to hear Maggie’s story. Before I met her AIDS had been distant from my life. It had never affected me. I had heard about it – yet I only let is penetrate me as a statistic – as a number. That night it became real to me. In front of me was a beautiful woman telling me that she questions daily whether she will be blessed enough to finish out another year at University. It hit me how blessed I am. I felt so selfish and so ignorant for not being affected by what I have heard about AIDS until this day.

It was such a strange contrast of joy and devastation which we experienced this weekend. I spent all afternoon marveling at the grin of a child and then was faced with the damaging reality of HIV/AIDS.

Reality hit me this weekend.

Things which I have selfishly allowed to not affect me are radically changing – and ending – peoples’ lives across the world.