This morning as my boda boda started the ascent into the Quarter, I noticed the door to Creamland School was open. I had not yet had a chance this trip to greet Alex, the amazing man who started the school, so I popped off the boda boda and headed into the school. Soon his smiling face and warm embrace greeted me.

We spoke about the many new improvements he’s made to the school and about his philosophy on education and on life. Alex is truly an amazing and inspiring individual. If there were more “Alex’s” Uganda’s entire populace would be educated. He is gifted, steadfast and truly concerned about giving children the opportunities he did not receive. As he passionately spoke, I wanted to take out my recorder and record every word he said. I resisted. Instead, I tried hard to remember each powerful remark uttered.

I told him of my plan to hire a teacher and start educating a group of the women from Project Have Hope who had never stepped inside a classroom. I told him how I was looking for a teacher who could speak Acholi and teach them to write their names so they’d no longer need to sign my using their thumb print, teach them to add, so they could properly count money. Alex offered lots of practical advice and once again, demonstrating his true zeal for universal education, offered to find me a teacher, determine the educational tools needed, and help to initiate the program. He told me to come by Monday morning and he would have things prepared. Before I leave on the 19th, he anticipates classes will have started. That’s extraordinary! That would be a feat anywhere, but in Uganda where everything runs on African time and the unexpected is simply expected, it would be unimaginable to start a program so quickly! I left the school with a smile on my face and a bounce to my step as I ascended the steep climb into the Quarter.

As I climbed, I saw a group of our members gathered outside of the PHH building. A sense of dread overwhelmed me. What was the crisis? What was wrong? I quickened my step. As I got closer, I saw a man talking to the group. I breathed in relief. That must be Gerard, Grace’s son, who was going to come to the Quarter today to discuss building nursery gardens for our new program aimed at building balcony gardens. I approached the group just as Gerard was finishing his outdoor talk and was leading them into the building to continue his lecture.

The women sat listening, eager to learn. Responding with questions. Nodding and replying with understanding. After the last few days of frustration, tears filled the corner of my eyes. I’ve never felt so happy. For the first moment, perhaps in my life, I really felt like I could make a difference … that I was making a difference.

This is empowerment. This is working together. This is the key to impacting the future. Educating a child is important, but sometimes I wonder how effective it is. Will I be able to continue the childrens’ education long enough to really help them? If I’m able to do that, will there be jobs for them in this country of wide-scale unemployment? I have to hope, but in 20 years, will I have accomplished anything beyond creating an educated slum? Truly, I don’t know. But this today, this is real. This can make a difference.

As Grace’s son lectures, confidently, poised, clearly in his element, I wonder what Grace thinks when she looks at her eldest child. Does she see the face of her husband, just one more victim to the violence and countless killings during Uganda’s civil war? Does she see the future of all her children in her son’s success? Does she see the potential for a better future for her people, the Acholi? I look to him and see the best of what Uganda has to offer - amazing and extraordinary people.

After he finishes his presentation, I introduce myself and we sit down to discuss some of the pragmatics of this agricultural initiative. In order for this project to be successful we greatly need a person trained in agriculture. I don’t want him to feel that I simply expect him to donate his time and talents, so I offer that we could hire him as a short-term consultant to get the project underway. He shakes his head, smiling, as if he’s talking to a small child. “I hope you’re not going to talk about money now.” He pauses and resumes, “I think in the Western world that is how it is. But here, it makes you happy just to help your neighbors.”

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