OUR STORY

Where did it come from?

March 2018, I was given an opportunity to serve as a data and archives intern at Ekitangaala Ranch in Nakasongola district in my senior six vacation( this is the long break in Uganda as one transitions from high school to college.
Given the role I was in close contact with the workers at the ranch and other people from the neighboring villages. One day I was riding a motorbike from the milk collection point to the nearby school where I slept that road passes via a borehole and it was 10:00am typical school hours. I met a child about 10-11 years old ( I later found out he was 13) fetching water, I was prompted to stop and ask why.
My first question was; Are you sick? , because to me that is the reason that could keep a child out of school, he said he wasn't  sick and I probed more, Why are you not in school then?
The answer baffled me it went like this;" my book got used up and my teacher told me to go back home to get a new book, when I reached home my grandmother told me to wait until she gets money". I was still anxious and asked him when that was, he could hardly trace the days  and that is when I realised that maybe it had been long, so i took him home and had an interaction with the grandmother who was taking care of 5 children  and had no source of income. I decided to help help and that made me realise that there are many children like that one. I shared with my friends and we made a calculation of the money we wasted on things we didn't need yet we could extend a hand to those who need it most. Each of us pledged 50,000 Uganda Shillings a term( which is three months) and when we made calculations a single pledge would support 2 children in lower primary.
Children like those ones dont need alot because they are in a free school, they need a pen , a book , a pencil, a school meal and other small scholastics which the school doesn't provide.