Before I so hurriedly rushed off to Kenya, I was assigned the task of delivering a procedure letter to the owners of three of the schools where Mercy Uganda has sponsored children. While at the schools, I delivered gift bags sent from the states via Laura for those children sponsored at these schools – Yunus, Frank, Olivia, and Eseza’s twin sisters.I had the opportunity to spend some time with Olivia, the child my friend sponsors, and to deliver her gift box. She seemed to recognize me, but she was no more talkative than during the last visit in June. As is true of so many Ugandan women, Olivia is quiet and reserved. She used no more words than necessary even when I asked open-ended questions.
We talked a little about how she was doing in school and gave her the assignment of getting her last term grades so that when I came back later this month to visit again she could tell me about her progress and I could bring a report back to her sponsor. We also talked a little about what she might need, as I was given some cash to help with these kinds of items. With that list, I’ll do a little shopping in preparation for another longer visit with this beautiful young girl.
I asked all those hard questions again – and will make a routine of doing so – and found that Olivia is healthy and happy. She is now boarding at the school and enjoying being with her friends. I wonder if she knows how important a role her being sponsored played in bringing me to Uganda in the first place.
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