Flowers in Uganda

Mother Theresa- "How can there be too many children? That is like saying there are too many flowers"

Number of orphans in Uganda-2,500,000

That's a lot of flowers!

Before I went to Uganda for the first time in September 2013, I used to worry about how would I deal with what I saw there. Especially the kids. I'm a big softy when it comes to kids. I'm a kid magnet; the one at any gathering with the most kids near me. I couldn't imagine what 2.5 million orphans looked like. I've seen those TV commercials. You know the ones.....Was I ready for it?

I was sure that I wanted to go. Also very sure that all my years spent in Catholic school watching movies of Mother Theresa caring for lepers in Bangladesh had sparked a compassion in me to help people somewhere in the world. Uganda happened to choose me first.

I had known several Ugandans a full five years before going and knew some of the harsh realities of life there.  The median monthly wage is 56,000 Uganda Shillings, about $23. The total fertility rate per woman-6.2 children. Infant morality rate-54 per 1000 live births. Even more sad, the under 5 mortality, 90 per 1000. Mostly due to TREATABLE diseases like Malaria and Typhoid, and from symptoms of Pneumonia, Diarrhea and Malnutrition.

Some sobering facts worldwide about child survival:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_survival

HIV/AIDS. 7.2 % of Uganda's population is living with HIV. (UNAIDS 2012). Not only have children lost one or both parents to this killer but many are born infected themselves. Sadly I could not find a single statistic on how many children in Uganda are HIV positive. Some flowers grow un-noticed in villages.

 Having known about Uganda before going, I thought I knew some of what I would experience once there. However very soon into my stay my worst fears turned into pleasant surprises. My first experiences with the "flowers" came when we walked to town. The young children, not yet school aged, would spot me and run closer for a better view and shout "hi Muzungu!" I couldn't believe how anything so tiny could even speak a big word like muzungu. I think they're taught it very early on in their lingustic careers. Most were dressed in torn dirty clothes but wearing huge smiles.

I think teachers must have resented me because if we walked past a school with younger aged kids they would see me and all leave their desks and run to doorway to hang out of it calling hi muzungu! But if I could thank these teachers I would because the little bit older kids would ask me in perfect English "how aaah you?" and give me clear "I'm fine's" when I returned the question. I appreciated that!

Almost immediately I realized the sheer number of kids. Early in the morning I could hear them before I saw them. They would walk past my house on their way to school, marching happily by in their colorful uniforms: each school having their own colors. What a beautiful garden of flowers!

We visited kids at their homes and schools and they visited us at our home. At school they're well mannered and polite and at their homes happy and carefree. These kids have daily chores to do but have plenty of play time too when out of school. Having a muzungu come visit is a big deal. At my first home visit the kids wanted to hold my hands, trying to rub the white off me. When they came to our Saturday Bible studies, they were happy, attentive and involved.

One of the two flowers I know who is HIV positive attends our Bible study. He is a happy, loving, well adjusted child. Not at all like the way the TV commercials portray. As he sat on my lap, content to just be there, I thought about his situation. About his future in this difficult country. But instead of trying to figure out a solution I just simply lived in that moment. There is much to learn from the vitality, grace and courage of the people here.

I've been told I've not yet seen "real poverty" in Uganda. I'm going back soon and this time will go deep into the village. I kind of already know the beautiful bouquets I'll find there. I've realized that this muzungu who thought she was going to Uganda to help people was instead helped herself. I learned that amidst the weeds of poverty and disease in this land of stark contrasts between joy and sorrow, hardships and happiness,  filth and beauty, lies a future of beautiful, grand flowers able to make this world brighter. They don't need me to save them, just to be the voice that could get them the 'water' they need.

If you'd like to make a donation to MMOCI-Uganda please see the donations page at http://manymansions11.wix.com/many-mansions-11