So it has been months since I have written anything and some of my friends and family have been bugging me… truth is I just don’t have too much to say. Life here is great! I was in a slump for about a month but now I am getting back into the groove of things just trying to get one task done at a time. Interesting things I have done since I last wrote are holding more holding more RUMPS sessions, trying to put together a counseling room and program, and planning life skills and HIV/AIDS education activities with another teacher at the school. One more thing I’m hoping works out is working with an NGO based in Amolatar bringing reproductive education to the rural villages there and options to the women in those communities like afripads or re-usable menstrual pads. Outside of school… I got to see all my training class at In Service training in August, rafted the nile, and went to Gulu and Arua (where we went on an awesome hike and got to see our friends Tom and Ilse’s sites). So that has been my life in a nutshell. When any of these projects are fully done and I get some good pictures I’ll post about them more.
But for now, I have been approached by a few students about getting pen pals. This becomes difficult because of postage costs, time it takes to organize an entire class to go through world wise schools and so on. I am doing world wise schools, but I thought it might be nice for my friends and family at home to meet some of my students, and if you want to write anything to them just post or send me an email and they would be THRILLED! Even if it is one sentence… The two girls below are so sweet and when they came to me with letters about themselves I suggested they also write a short story too. I only corrected major spelling errors that I thought would confuse people reading it, but other then that I left their letters and stories exactly as written. And they were amazed when they saw what they wrote and their pictures online! Hope you Enjoy!
Semmy Ruth
Semmy is in my S2-Green class and I teach her math. She used to sit in the back corner of the class very quite and behaved, and always one of the first to finish her work. This week she moved to the front and I was shocked to see her there, I think she is coming out of her shell a bit more. She is shy but always smiling. She sang at a function we had at school last term and has an amazing voice. I have to admit she is one of my favorites and always greets me when I walk by. She came up with this “Taught me a lesson” theme on her own for her stories, I was going to only pick one but they are short and call my sentimental but I thought all of them were good, especially in comparison to how many of the girls her age write. Some background that may help you understand the stories better: Students are in nursersy school as small children then they enter primary P1-P7 then secondary from S1-S6. Usually students are beaten in schools at any age, even nursery. Matooke is unripened boiled and mashed bananas. Her third story is about using the latrine at night.
Hello,
My name is Semmy Ruth. I’m a Ugandan by nationality and currently living in Lira district. “Teso bar in Adyel division”. I’m 14 years of age an in form two in St.Katherine S.S.
My dad is a teacher and my mum is a peasant farmer.
In our home, we are a family of seven children where the first born is a teacher, followed by the second born who is a nurse. Our third born is at campus in for her third year followed by the forth born who is a girl in senior five. Our fifth born is a boy in senior five and I’m the sixth born and the last born is in primary seven. Therefore these makes us to be six girls and one boy.
I have a dream to be a surgeon. What interests me most is singing and reading novels.
My best hobbies are singing, reading, watching and many others.
My favorite foods are matooke, cheese, yoghurt, deep friend chicken ice cream and many others.
My Childhood at School
Despite of me being small, I was very funny. When I was in primary three I could go to school everyday without missing. A certain Friday when I was at school in the evening, assembly was to be held. The bell was rung and we as pupils made a positive response to the bell. We sat down as we listened to the speeches made by teachers on duty.
One of the teachers was invited to give his speech, when he came, he said “Today I have nothing much to air out but only one question to ask and the question is like this, “What do we normally use to put off burning fire?” he asked. Pupils responded in chorus that water of which was the correct answer but be being a stubborn pupil, I shouted at last that “match box”. The teacher pretended not to have heard and he asked the question again. Pupils made the same response like wise to me I still shouted match box.
I was picked from among the students and I was beaten properly, starting from that day, I could only make funs where my agemates are
“IT TAUGHT ME A VERY GOOD LESSON”
An Accident I was Involved
It was in 2004 when I was in primary two. By then I had just learnt how to ride a bicycle and if I was sent to fetch water minus a bicycle, nothing like water could be within the home.
One day, when my parents refused to ease my transport to the well by giving me a bicycle, I waited when both of them had entered inside the house. I stole the bike and hurried seriously to the well with a group of girls from the same area.
When we reached the well, we fetched our water happily coze we were all in the same boat.
On our way back home, girls were just busy riding not knowing that a speeding vehicle was behind and to make matters worst, I was in the middle of the road after which someone shouted from nowhere that girls! A vehicle is almost knocking you all!!! Other people who were by the road sides managed to stop but for me I just had to fall on the road and wait for the vehicle calmly without any complain but to my surprise it managed to dodge me and it happened to crush my bicycle into pieces that could never be repaired.
Before I could get up, my parents were already by the road side and I was really ashamed coze even all the water poured without a single dot remaining. So, from that day, I don’t use things without permission.
“IT TAUGHT ME A GOOD LESSON”
At Home
Life at home is very interesting: As long as it’s your home, “Home is Home”, never to be rejected.
One evening, when we had already taken our supper, everyone was expected to go to their respective rooms and also I did what was expected of me. I am a kind of person who when coming out at night, just come out at once without first stealing glances.
There was a man who used to go to his garden very early around 4:00am for digging. One day, he was deceived by the brightness of the moon and he thought it was already time for his garden yet it was 10 minutes past midnight. He moved but to his surprise, he could not hear any cock crowing. As he used to pass via our home, that day he happened to stop at our home to wait for morning hours to come but all in vain. He saw at the doorway to my room.
I came out to ease myself at once. To my surprise I found somebody sitting at the doorway from there it was a conflicting loyalty. I had no decision whther to continue or to move back but I just burst into tears and shouted with a loud voice, “Mummy today am dead!” When I was crying this man was also shouting, trying to identify himself but because I could not withstand the situation, I just increased my voice. My mother from inside was also confused coze of the two voices. She could not tell out which one is for her daughter so for that she couldn’t come out. So the cries continued not until this man stopped for awhile and I made the loudest noise ever. My mum came out and found this man was now just standing looking at me but I had closed my eyes with the intention that if something would happen bad to me, I may not be in a position to see. So from that day, I enter the house and come out in the morning only.
“IT TAUGHT ME A GOOD LESSON”
Ongom Sarah
Sarah is in my S2-Blue class and I also teach her math. She is extremely shy and always looks down at the ground when you talk to her. Despite that she is very involved in school and is the student who initiated doing skits at assembly about HIV/AIDS to educate everyone that I have helped with. When you make her laugh she only giggles for a moment then goes back to a serious face. The only background you need for Sarah’s story is that Ugandans use SO MUCH SUGAR. Seriously I have been questioned multiple times about not putting sugar in my tea… they are baffled.
Hello,
My name is Sarah. I am a Ugandan and I’m currently leaving in Lira district in Kakoge B Parish.
I’m in S2 in St. Katherine S.S. and dreaming to become a doctor in a nearby future although I also dream of being a musician too!
In our home, we are five children in which two are boys and three are girls and I’m the first is in senior five (sciences) and the second is also a boy and is in senior three meanwhile I’m third and our fourth born is also a girl and is in primary five while the last born is a girl too but in baby class.
My father is a businessman and my mother too.
I was born twins but unfortunately the other died leaving me and he was a boy.
I like watching movies, touring places, reading novels, singing, drama acting but what interested me most is singing (musics) and bible studies.
My favourate foods are; ice cream, matooke, chocolate drinks to mentioned but a few.
I’m very proud of my colour and I like Europeans colours that’s why I like being friends to them and this make me like face book too.
I haven’t yet been in any country in Africa or any continent out-side Africa and I can’t help imagining how it looks like during winter period and I hope with God’s mercy and grace I will study hard so that I also reach those other continents.
There was one evening, my mum came back from town and told us she had forgotten to buy sugar yet she wanted to take tea that evening.She ten told me and my sister to go to the nearby shop to buy it since my brothers wasn’t around.
As we were on the way to the shop, my sister asked “Sarah, if you are to see a ghost now, what can you do?” and I answered, “ I would run leaving you behind” She also argued that she would run leaving behind.
As we were about to reach the shop, we met our neighboours son called chris and told as he was from buying airtime and asked if he could escort us but we told him, we weren’t fearing so we continued.
We reached the shop and actually bought what we were sent for.
On our way back, when we were about to reach our fence, my sister told me she saw somebody hiding near the gate, This brought a lot of fear to me but this was the boy we had met on the way and wanted to scare us.
As we reached the gate, he jumped right in from of us “Today you are all dead” he said with a bold voice.
We were so much afread that we started running at such a marathon speed crying for help with very loud voices and is boy came out and started to laugh at us buy by them, we had arrived home shivering a lot. Then mum asked what had happened, we both burst in to laughter, she too started laughing.
When we narrarated the story, she laghted more loudly that made everyone amazed and the next morning, when we asked him, he said he wanted to see weather we are real girls and this made my mum to advice us never to walk at night.
