Here is a Isaac on the left
Back in Uganda, Barbara, invited us on a home visit up the mountain, to two kids, Isaac and Eveline. On the way up she explained to Dad, Mom and I their history...
Isaac is forteen, although he only looks about ten. Eveline is sixteen, and has to take care of them both, earning money for food and such. Their parents died from HIV when they were eight and twelve, and ever since they've been living on their own. Relatives are their neighbours, but they show no sign of helping Isaac and Eveline. In fact, they put a cow in Eveline's house and refused to remove it, but by the time we got there it had gone. Isaac greeted us, beaming. He is so small, barely my height, despite his age. He ran off right away to . . .
Isaac is forteen, although he only looks about ten. Eveline is sixteen, and has to take care of them both, earning money for food and such. Their parents died from HIV when they were eight and twelve, and ever since they've been living on their own. Relatives are their neighbours, but they show no sign of helping Isaac and Eveline. In fact, they put a cow in Eveline's house and refused to remove it, but by the time we got there it had gone. Isaac greeted us, beaming. He is so small, barely my height, despite his age. He ran off right away to . . .
get Eveline from the church sermon. We waited in uncomfortable silence as the neighbouring kids crowded us and stared. Finally Isaac returned with Eveline.
Eveline has a nasty gash on her leg, which she got from chopping firewood with an axe. The worst part was that she had had it for over a YEAR. Barbara was very concerned.
Isaac and Eveline's mud house is bare, and there are a few walls that need repairing. When we entered it stunk, but they'd done a pretty good job in cleaning up any remains from the cow. Isaac was jumping around, totally happy. Eveline was shier, more quiet.
Eveline's room is very small, with a crummy mattress and sheet. She had a small bundle of clothes in the corner, but otherwise, nothing was there.
Isaac's room was much larger, and he had pretty much the same set-up as Eveline, except for a much needed mosquito net and two crayon pictures ripped out of a drawing book. Isaac proudly presented them to us, and Mom offered he come over for tea and some food at the guesthouse, where we could also draw our own pictures for them. Barbra agreed, since she wanted to dress Eveline's wound.
Hours later, Isaac and Eveline strolled up the hill to the guesthouse. We had left-overs from the night before of pasta and sauce, so we heated it up and served it to them, along with orange juice. While they ate we talked, and Sabia, another volunteer, treated Eveline's cut. After they had finished their meal we collected a big drawing pad and some pencils and paper and drew for a while. They also tried their first brownie, and Isaac shyly asked for another.
Before they left Babra got a suitcase, some medical wound care spray, skirt and two t-shirts for Eveline. Isaac received a pull-over sweater, and it was obvious he was a teeny bit jealous of Eveline's load. At the last minute, I gave him two pairs of my out grown shorts and a t-shirt to Eveline. Isaac was in total bliss, especially since one pair was jean, and the other quick dry! I felt really happy, too.
After that, whenever we go to Mbale (the nearest town outside of Bududa), I couldn't help thinking of Isaac and Eveline every time I saw something they need; shirts for Isaac, dresses for Eveline, drawing pads and markers, boots and running shoes. In the rainy season it gets very cold at night, and I couldn't help thinking of their bare beds when a man came up to our bus, trying to sell us thick blankets.
Bye,
Allegra
Eveline has a nasty gash on her leg, which she got from chopping firewood with an axe. The worst part was that she had had it for over a YEAR. Barbara was very concerned.
Isaac and Eveline's mud house is bare, and there are a few walls that need repairing. When we entered it stunk, but they'd done a pretty good job in cleaning up any remains from the cow. Isaac was jumping around, totally happy. Eveline was shier, more quiet.
Eveline's room is very small, with a crummy mattress and sheet. She had a small bundle of clothes in the corner, but otherwise, nothing was there.
Isaac's room was much larger, and he had pretty much the same set-up as Eveline, except for a much needed mosquito net and two crayon pictures ripped out of a drawing book. Isaac proudly presented them to us, and Mom offered he come over for tea and some food at the guesthouse, where we could also draw our own pictures for them. Barbra agreed, since she wanted to dress Eveline's wound.
Hours later, Isaac and Eveline strolled up the hill to the guesthouse. We had left-overs from the night before of pasta and sauce, so we heated it up and served it to them, along with orange juice. While they ate we talked, and Sabia, another volunteer, treated Eveline's cut. After they had finished their meal we collected a big drawing pad and some pencils and paper and drew for a while. They also tried their first brownie, and Isaac shyly asked for another.
Before they left Babra got a suitcase, some medical wound care spray, skirt and two t-shirts for Eveline. Isaac received a pull-over sweater, and it was obvious he was a teeny bit jealous of Eveline's load. At the last minute, I gave him two pairs of my out grown shorts and a t-shirt to Eveline. Isaac was in total bliss, especially since one pair was jean, and the other quick dry! I felt really happy, too.
After that, whenever we go to Mbale (the nearest town outside of Bududa), I couldn't help thinking of Isaac and Eveline every time I saw something they need; shirts for Isaac, dresses for Eveline, drawing pads and markers, boots and running shoes. In the rainy season it gets very cold at night, and I couldn't help thinking of their bare beds when a man came up to our bus, trying to sell us thick blankets.
Bye,
Allegra
RSS Feed