Thursday, October 6, 2011

1. Kids Living on Streets of Uganda


Sixteen months, three weeks, and six days ago a 20 year old girl basking in a life of naivety stepped off a plane in Entebbe, Uganda, Africa not knowing that from that day forward, life would not be the same.

After three months of living in a third-world country, my life was changed. Almost a year and a half later, I am still affected everyday by what I saw and experienced.

The people in the town of Lugazi live in utter poverty. The average family resides in a one or two room hut without electricity, a door, and a dirt floor. There are usually between five and seven adults and children living, cooking, and defecating in and around this small space. An average family in the United States lives in a three bedroom, two bathroom house with a television, a computer, a flushing toilet, and a lock on the door. Feel guilty yet? Oh and the average house size is now 2.59, according to the US census.



Above average house in Lugazi.

Let's add a little more on top of that. In Lugazi there is large population of "street kids." These are kids averaging between ages 4 and 10, who could not get into an orphanage and now have to live on the street in alleyways or under store awnings. Street kids have to beg, steal, and pillage to survive and support other street kids--their family. They scour the city for odd jobs to get a few shillings to buy bananas and steal what they can't afford. A street kid will boldly approach a white person (Mzungu, we are called) and beg for money. Their swollen bellies and boney bodies are hard to walk away from, when you know fully well that you have shillings to spare in your pocket.



Street kids enthralled by Mzungu cameras.

The money exchange is approximately 2,800 shillings for one US dollar. A bunch of 6-8 bananas runs about 1,000 shillings while a large bottle of clean, cold water is about 1,200 shillings. I walked around with anywhere from 10,000 to 50,000 shillings in my bag (depending on when I went to the bank last) and I could afford to buy anything I wanted for anyone I wanted. But that can't be done.

Those kids understand the value of a dollar or a shilling because they don't have any. They know that money means food and food means less stomach pain while they try to sleep on the side of a road under the stars.

Do our American kids at age 8 or even age 15 know that value of a dollar? Are they being taught that "money doesn't grow on trees?" Or do they think that you just swipe a card and get anything you want?

Does the $10 salad at Cafe Rio or the $7 mixed drink at the bar taste good because it costs so much? Next time you throw away your leftovers at a restaurant or even at home, think about how many bananas you could have bought for kids in Lugazi, Uganda. Or how many water bottles could have been distributed among them. Think about how far your dollar could actually go in the life of a child.


Mathius, a Mzungu's best friend

7 comments:

  1. I'm really happy you started this blog. I have similar thoughts pretty often. Can't wait to keep reading.

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  2. I'm so glad you had the opportunity to live beyond the comfortable life here in the US. My trip to India in '77 changed my life forever too in a similar way.
    You have a great writing voice, can't wait to read more about this part of your life.

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  3. This is a good start. I am interested to see where you decide to go with this. There is a long story in Uganda and it would be nice to see that story from your eyes. Well done.

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  4. I love this Becca, I can't wait to read more. You have a lot to say, and I look forward to hearing more about this wonderful and eye-opening experience.

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  5. Becca, your writing is great and very entertaining. I also love to write and am able to tell a good story in print. Keep it up! I see a future author !?!?!? By the way this is from Pam, NOT Janet!

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  6. I have often wanted to contribute to a fund for the people in Africa but there are so many fraudulent organizations that collect money and it never gets to the actual people who need it. I would love to know if there is an organization that you know of that actually helped the people in Africa so that we would know where to make a contribution. It is nice to see that progress is being made in Africa but we have a long way to go.

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  7. These last two posts have some very interesting and controversial information. No need to apologize, either. Proposition 8 was very distressing to me as it attacks those who enjoy an opinion that is not necessarily the norm. In Africa, this sort of thing can get magnified into what becomes genocide. Frankly, I fear the inaction on the part of the Ugandan government is due more to budgetary concerns than human rights.

    On the subject of women in Ugandan society, it takes a lot of courage to break down those barriers. It has taken western society a very long time, and not all barriers are down. You also point out that you were able to meet with men on a level field because you are white. That is another area of exploitation. Why should a white person have more impact than a black person? In many instances, it's a way to mask insecurities. Men who are insecure in their self-worth are not secure in allowing women the same privileges as they enjoy. This ties back into the first topic of homosexuality.

    Good posts. Dig deeper. Find connections. Muse on solutions. Push your mind into the depths of Ugandan culture and see where the roots of these behaviors rise. It will open your mind even more.

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