Julian - Update 7: Debrief Blog 1

Journal prompt: What is one lesson I’ve learned from my East African friends that I will never forget?

There is one whole day that has changed my life forever. We were on a few-day trip to a small village in Eastern Uganda. Part of our time there was to serve the community at large through a SLAM Service Plunge. I was in charge of being on the team that went to a local primary school. Man, that was one of the hardest things I had to do. Although the school cost money to attend, almost all of the kids had no shoes. One girl, who I hold dear in my heart, had no shoes and was about 8 years old. She had to carry her baby brother around on her back, her brother looked only a few months old. Almost every other kid carried around their siblings like this at school. Kids raising kids. 

The school only had one small building that had no walls and basically looked like a bomb was dropped on it. The rest of the classrooms were outside and the kids couldn’t pay attention because anyone could come into their class because their rooms are exposed and outside. My heart hurt the whole time I was there. These kids deserve the right to get a school with a nice building with seats, and books to learn from and take notes. They should not have to babysit their kid siblings while trying to learn at school. I recount this story to tell how it impacted my life. I commit myself to advancing the education systems in the regions our ministry works in. Every kid deserves to receive an education that is holistic and not a burden. I want to see those kids one day in a village receiving an education that is transformative and builds up a generation, not one that tears it down.