The humble beginning of an Ordinary African

 

You have heard many stories about Africa , but there’s this one you haven’t heard about, about the humble beginning of an Ordinary African.

My name is Stuart. Am a Ugandan by nationality, a country in East Africa . I want to write about my life in Uganda , and I hope it will help someone know that God does his best work in our worst times.

 

I was born and grew up in one of the remote villages in Uganda , far away from the Capital city Kampala . My parents were young adults who depended on farming that is, growing crops. They had their own misunderstandings and separated, so I was raised up by Mum as a single parent.

 

She tells me it wasn’t easy because she had to spend most of the time in the garden digging in order to cultivate crops that were later sold to meet my basic needs as a child and hers too. In the early 1990’s, I started school.

At first school wasn’t fun because teachers were not so friendly, they used to beat a lot as a way of disciplining and worse still, I didn’t understand class things (class work).

 

A child would be sent to school, and beaten for every single mistake. At a later stage, those who couldn’t bear with the sticks anymore gave up with school. This is one of the reasons why the illiteracy level in many parts of Africa is high; children hate school when they are still young.
 
A kid grows up not perceiving school as a place for studying but as a   place for heavy punishments. Who would like to be in such a place?

 

I was so lucky not to give up. The first two years were the most difficult in my entire school life (Primary one and two have been my hardest classes). At the end of the term, Some times I would be among the last five students in the whole class, and that meant I was entitled to serious punishments. Besides the punishments, I had to walk the long distance of about 11 km to and from school.

 

I don’t remember Mum beating me for being among the last Pupils in class. As a young kid, she would buy me simple things and when I grew up I realized she was doing that to help me not hate school, and it really worked.

 

Since my performance was so bad, I was supposed to repeat the two classes. Mum ever faced my teachers and pleaded not to make me repeat any class, that may be at later stage I would improve.

 

I was allowed to join primary three,  just  to give it a try. The first term I was the third, this time not from bottom, but from top and in the subsequent terms, I maintained the first position. What a performance it was!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Every child’s dream in any Uganda village is to come to Kampala . In 1995, my late father who had been in Kamapala for some years invited me to visit him and continue with school in Kampala . 

I joined a new primary school in Kampala . I adjusted quickly in the new school because I remember being among the top 7 in class.

 

Life in Kampala

was good despite a few issues at home. During holidays, my late father would allow me visit Mum in the village and then come back.

I sat for the national primary leaving exams and got a first grade. Then I joined high school. The first two years were okay, but when I joined senior three, trouble started. My father wasn’t working any more.

 

Any one owing school any money was denied everything. This meant I was not supposed to attend classes, I was not to be seen any where around the school compound and since it was a boarding school, I was neither allowed to take meals nor sleep in the hostels. .

 

Life proved so hard, full of worries, hunger, sleepless nights and frustrations. This has been one of the hardest times in my life. Every time I think about this time, something that happens to any emotional person happens to me 

 

There was nothing I could do. I couldn’t go to my father because he didn’t have the money to pay at school, I couldn’t go to my Mum in the village because she couldn’t afford.

The only alternative was to give up. But I thank my heart for helping me not to give up. I decided to hide around all possible corners within school and in the evenings, I would walk to the nearby Catholic Church to pray. My only prayer was “God, pay my school dues and help me have some peace.”

 

God is never deaf, and he delays for a purpose. After some tough time that took so long, my prayer was finally answered!!!!!!

The turning point was in January 2001; I met some kind Australian Lady Audrey Stratton, with help of some gentleman called Tom.

I was to smile again after some years of hard life.

 

Audrey started to pay my school fees, and went ahead to clear all the previous debts that I owed school. At this moment, you know how I was feeling. It was great, I can tell you!!!!!!!!

 

I was so relaxed and settled in that when I sat for the national exams, I passed very well with a first grade.

 

Audrey didn’t leave it at that, she allowed me choose and attend a school of my choice to do the 2 years Advanced level. I did that and specialized in Physics, Economics and Math.

Unfortunately a few weeks to national exams, my father died, it was so challenging having to deal with memories of my late father, but again Audrey was supportive. Had it not been her comforting words, I would have failed the exams but I tried to do my best and I passed.  She was so happy the same way I was.

 

During the long vacation, I went back to the village and taught Physics and Math in one of the high schools. It was nice sharing some knowledge I had gained with these students. I arranged special classes for them every evening free of charge to help them more.  I invited other students from neighboring schools to join us. It was good. 

 

 I left just before they sat for their national exams of which many got some good grades, but they were so sad when I was leaving. I had to move on.

I joined University to pursue a degree in computer science. In my first year, Audrey was between jobs, and it was tough. Fortunately I was not about to go back to the past experience. Val (Audrey’s sister) helped with that semester’s fees. Later on, things got better and here I am now, almost through with Uni studies!!!!! Am looking forward to the future.

I was supposed to graduate this year, but I have some paper to make up. So this will be early next year, around that time.

In the village, there are many sharp boys and girls who have dropped out of school because they don’t have any opportunity to go further. I want to make a difference.

 

You will be surprised to know that I have never  met Audrey in person before. But she has been so kind to me and has helped me get this far, this humbles me.

She refers to me or describes me as planted seed that later turns into a field of crops, while I describe her as a person of noble character. The End

Thanks for your time. Stuart

 

More information on my site:  www.geocities.com/smccartthy