Warning: This is going to be a long one, but worth it.... THE “BUT” IN MY STORY Your Generosity today could change the course of a generation I make that statement today from a place of a lot of thought lately about my story, and how the generosity of my extended family made a difference for generations to come, just through my ONE story. Now, you already know that my story is NOT unique. It is a story of many African children. However, the “BUT” in my story is a young man (my uncle), who decided to change my story with his sacrifice. Having lost both my parents at by the time I was in Primary 5, for many children, that has been the end of their road of hope. But not mine. My extended family immediately stepped in, and held our hands through life. Today I particularly think of my uncle, who was just a young man at the time, with a very young family, and not many resources, who decided to take me on. Let me paint the picture: this man (my uncle) had a daughter, about 8 years old, a son about 3 years old, and baby girl on the way, and he was a budding businessman in the village of Rukungiri. So, imagine him taking on another child, with his resources and responsibilities. CRAZY SACRIFICE. BUT somehow, he took me to the best schools he could afford at the time, and my school fees was always paid way way before the start of the term. He was serious about educating me. The rest was up to me. The magnitude of his sacrifice was not as apparent to me as it is now that I have two children of my own, and the thought of taking on an extra child for the rest of our lives is a very weighty one. But my uncle did it. He was tough. He worked so hard to make ends meet. He gave us a comfortable life, but above all, he gave me a gift that many children who even have parents do not have the privilege of having; EDUCATION. A GOOD EDUCATION. You see, his gift has not only changed my life. No. It has changed a generation. My children are benefiting from my uncle’s investment. My church. My extended family. My community. My story would be a totally different story, had my extended family chosen not to go through the blood, sweat and tears of educating an extra, unplanned child. BUT they chose to take the hard road. I am ETERNALLY grateful to you Mr. Muhwezi Mugisha. You have changed not just my story, but countless others, whom you have taken on and educated. May God continue to prosper you, and your children, and their children. Lesson: A decision you make today could change the course of a generation.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Dec 2014 09:56:44 +0000