Notes from Uganda
MCC Thrift's Andy Arthur shares his learning journey
Embracing Mercy
MCC’s partner Aids Education Group for Youth has been operating for 20 years. In the last few years it has shifted their focus on supporting young mothers, primarily ages 11-17. They provide sexual health education at schools and on the radio, as well as health training for volunteers who provide basic health services in 65 nearby villages. AEGY provides parental training for both the girls and their parents.
Mercy, one of the participants, spoke to our group about a difficult time in her life. She risked dropping out of school due to the inability to afford school supplies, school fees and sanitary pads. She knew she wanted to stay in school, and since her parents had separated and were not able to support her financially, she became vulnerable.
Mercy got an older ‘boyfriend’ who initially paid for some of her school needs. Soon she became pregnant and the father, like many in this region, will provide no assistance. She wasn’t permitted to stay in school because she was pregnant - instead, the school gave her exams to do from home.
Stories like Mercy's are not uncommon among her support group. The Christlike compassion and connection the staff of AEGY have with the girls is evident. When Mercy was finished bravely sharing her story, she sat down and cried. Helen, one of the project’s staff, came over and wrapped herself around her.
Like most of the other girls, Mercy wanted to return to school. Without the help of MCC’s partner, this likely wouldn’t be possible. The work of Thrift volunteers and gifts from supporters today might mean hundreds of other girls like Mercy might have access to school or technical training and hope for tomorrow.
"Peace isn't cheap" - Sam Eibu Okiror
Sam could be meaning that working for peace has brought him to tremendously risky places, or that there are no simple solutions, or that the peace programs he runs have expenses. In this case, what he was referring to is a trip to Akron, PA, MCC’s head office in the US. It was on his orientation trip that he had the opportunity to visit and volunteer in a Thrift Shop. ‘Peace isn’t cheap, there is a lot of effort all of those volunteers are putting in to help programs like mine.’ Sam values the work that Thrift volunteers are doing and knows that his program may not exist without it.
Sam is incredibly remarkable. His gait has slowed over the years, but he is as determined as ever to work for peace and equip others to do the same. Sam studied peace building in the US at Eastern Mennonite University. When he returned to his home in Uganda, he was dismayed at all of the conflict. He has worked in a number of capacities over the decades : teaching peace building with MCC, being executive director to an MCC partner in his community, and mediating peace in the midst of conflict zones.
Peace is more than a wish for Sam. He and other clergy folk helped negotiate peace between the Lord’s Resistance Army and the Ugandan government, bringing a halt to brutal warfare which left countless communities traumatized. He has done conflict resolution with genocide survivors and perpetrators in Rwanda as well as peace building in Nigeria, Kenya, and Tanzania.
Now Sam humbly oversees Action for Peace and Development, an MCC partner. He started by meeting under a tree, sharing about peace with two students. There are now 125 participants across 5 villages. It was fitting to meet together with the participants under the fruitful trees.
Closing the distance in Kotido
Two of the partners we visited were far from the capital city, Kampala, where the MCC Uganda office is located. Knowing that several of the partners would have insufficient support and guidance, MCC Uganda hired a program coordinator for that region. Henry Loboke lives in Kotido and works with the multiple partners in that area. From our visits, it's clear Henry has a strong relationship with the partner staff and many of the participants.
There are 43 living languages in Uganda. While English is prevalent, many rural communities commonly use a local language. Henry can effectively communicate in multiple languages, strengthening connections with the participants.
One of Henry’s roles is to help partner organizations with planning and reporting their work. This ensures the partners are being strategic about how they grow, using MCC’s resources effectively, and can communicate the impact of their work with the community.
Kotido has many different organizations providing assistance to their community. The building where Henry has his small office is home to multiple NGOs. MCC works in conjunction with several different organizations to share knowledge and jointly support projects. This helps to ensure communities won’t be abandoned when one NGO dissolves or stops working in that area.