On the Road to Jinga

Today we headed East to the city of Jinga. Jinga, a 70 km journey from Kampala, is one of my favorite destinations in all of Uganda. It is a beautiful city that is a popular tourist destination because it is the beginning point of the Nile River. From a very calm place at the foot of a mountain the Nile begins its life-giving flow northward to Egypt. The river is a major hydro-electric source for much of east Africa. It's awesome to watch the rafters negotiate the challenging class five rapids that are formed from the waters being released from the dam.

Our journey was almost over before we began. Within a km of our departure from the guest house, we were stopped by the local police who inspected our vehicle and then began to converse intensely with our driver. They soon moved around to the front passenger seat and began challenging me as to what we were doing and why we were in violation of the law. He said our violations were serious and that we would face fines, the impounding of our vehicle and even jail time if we failed to pay the fines. I thought for a moment that we were in real trouble. Fortunately, we have a team member who helps us often who has a high rank within the local police. Our quick-thinking driver Robert got him on the cell phone and had him speak with the officer. Apparently, we had been observed for several days along this stretch of road near our guest house as it is the way we depart and return each day. The local police officer saw the opportunity to get a Mazunga in a pickle and then ask for a bribe to let him off the hook. Robert saw through the charade and intently challenged the officer until he let us go. The rest of the ride up to Jinga was uneventful.

Our shoe distribution point in Jinga was St. Joseph's Primary School. SJPS is in an impoverished area 15 km north of Jinga. When the people of Uganda talk about poverty stricken areas, this area is at the top of the list. The Garretts sponsor a brother and sister in this area and we have a dozen or so other kids here as well. The headmaster of the school was so excited that we were to distribute 100 pairs of shoes in her school. We ended up with over 200 kids pushing in to get shoes!

Our distribution point was a small classroom made of rough clay bricks with a tin roof. The rafters were covered with hornets nests and we were keeping watchful eye on them as they flew around us. A bite from a swarm of African Black Hornets would ruin your day and send you to the local hospital. Somehow, the kids seem not to notice them or they are attracted to our shampoo or other hygiene products.

Although there were way more kids then we could possibly serve, the distribution for the most part was orderly. I have never seen kids so excited to get their school shoes. For many of these kids, this was there first pair of shoes ever. It's easy to spot the kids who don't own shoes by the splay of their toes and the relatively flat arches, not to mention the leathery texture! Many of these kids were in primary 5 and 6 and were in men's sizes 9, 10 and 11 in order to accomodate the width of their flat feet. The look of joy on their face as they try the shoes and find that they fit is amazing. Those who have had shoes in the past have generally never had anything but hand-me-downs. It's not unusual to see grown boys with kids shoes with the backs cut out and their heels on the ground!

Once again, I am proud to represent all of you. We are agents of restoration in an impoverished nation!