Testimonials

Comments from Elaine Pers Hickey on her visit to Uganda in January of 2010

A simple request: Can I be a scholar too?

Children all around me wanting and appreciating the gift of education. They may be young but they are wise beyond their years. They understand that education is the key to their future and the future of their family and community. Education is not taken for granted by the children here. They just want a chance to learn and grow. They want the opportunity to provide for themselves.

My journey to Uganda allowed me to experience a world that I had previously only seen in pictures and video. I was able to personally witness what life was really like in rural Uganda. This is no longer a distant world. As, I walked the dirt paths and agricultural fields in the warmth of the sun, I was often struck by this feeling that time had truly forgotten the people of this village and so many others. How could we have so much excess and waste in the United States, while the people here truly had so little. No electricity, running water or plumbing and inadequate education and health care. Their lives are so simple, yet so hard. Those who were healthy, were strong, whether it was a bike rider transporting a woman and two children on the back of his bicycle or a child who carries a large water jug on his or her head, or a four year old child carrying her two year old sister on her back. Although, their lives were physically hard, there appeared to be a depth in their relationships with each other. The children care for each other at a young age and there is a community here of children caring for children which is so beautiful to witness. Because of this community spirit, I am even more convinced that providing educational opportunities for the children of the village will have a dramatic and beneficial effect not only the individual student but also for the families and community of that student. The children ask for so little here. They just want an opportunity to go to school and an opportunity to get medicine and treatment if they become sick. Unfortunately, these things are not available to them without our help. I am certain they will be some day. The educational opportunities we are able to provide, whether it is through sponsorship of a student or a classroom, will provide the community with the ability to do it on their own in the future. Something they truly want to do. They don’t really want the Mzungus to do it for them; they just want an opportunity to work hard and do it themselves. If they are provided with education and healthcare, they will be able to do that.

Meeting the scholars and their families was such an honor and privilege. The scholars’ families were grateful and welcoming and offered what little they had to me when I stopped by. They welcomed me into their homes and there was so much beauty in their strength, determination and perseverance. I just can’t help but admire anyone who meets the challenges of their life with such perseverance and strength.

I had the wonderful opportunity to take the scholars shopping for their school shoes. Many of the new scholars had never ventured far from their small village. They had certainly never seen the small city of Masaka where the shoe store was located about 20 miles away. They traveled in the taxi, gazing out the window with wide eyes and wonder. Thank you to all of the sponsor families who have given the scholars this incredible opportunity. Not only did many of them go to a shoe store for the first time, but they also got to have their first brand new pair of shoes. My wish for you is that your heart could feel the beauty of what I experienced, watching the scholars on this journey. I was so fortunate to be there to witness the difference you are all making in the lives of the children of Ddegeya and their families. The families and children are going to be forever change for the better by your generosity.

A man who came to the clinic with his small sick son, said it all when I handed his son a lollipop, he looked into my eyes and which such sincerity and limited English he said “Thank you for loving our children”. So I pass that gratitude on to all of you. Thank you for loving their children. Children that you only know by pictures and video and have never met.

What a simple but powerful statement. It is really that simple . . . .if everyone in this world could love someone else’s children, love would prevail. Whether it is here in Uganda, in the United States or in any chance encounter, we just have to love someone else’s children.

Comments from Theresa Weinman on her visit to Uganda in February of 2009:

"In February of this year (2009), I traveled to Uganda to meet our first group of Engeye Scholars. These were the children we had chosen from a world away to receive a life changing gift - the gift of education. Meeting them and seeing this "gift" in action was beyond anything I could have imagined from the comfort of my New York home. During my visit, I learned so much about our young scholars and the needs of their families and community. I had met our first scholar, Susan when she was brought to the United States to be treated at Shriner’s hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. While she spent most of her time in Boston, we had the opportunity to welcome Susan in our New York home for a few weeks. Susan is a beautiful, fun, bright young woman who was a joy to have in our home. She was very much like my own 14 year old daughter. I was confident I knew who this young woman was. Yet when I traveled to her "home" and saw the mud hut and poverty of her daily life - I realized I hadn't known Susan at all. I could not have comprehended what her life was like as a young girl, suffering with the pain of her injuries, living in poverty, without a mother, without any hope of an education or a future. What did she dream about when she sat in the dark, dirty room - without lights, books, music or friends? Did she ever dream that a group of strangers from across the ocean would find her in her little village and give her a key to a future through life altering medical care and an opportunity to go to school? She told me she could never have imagined it would happen.

Susan is the first in her family to go to school and she is determined to do well and to make us all proud. I saw the pride Susan felt when we returned to the village from her boarding school to see her friends and family and she quickly changed into her school uniform. She now has hopes and dreams - to be a doctor or nurse and "to help people like I have been helped." She has her scholarship family cheering her every step of the way.

I learned so much about the power of education on my trip to Uganda. In the United States, education is seen by our children as a "requirement." In Uganda, going to school is an honor and privilege. This program is not just about writing a check and sending a child to school. It is about providing the children with the means to make a difference in the lives of themselves, their families and communities.

In order to ensure the success of our scholars, they are enrolled in nearby boarding schools. There are also two local, poor, rural schools located near the village, but these schools do not have the ability to retain students and teachers. These schools operate without necessary school supplies and without the means to teach and educate the village children. So, to reach even more children, we have expanded our program to provide an opportunity for interested people to sponsor a classroom or simply send resources, school supplies, world maps and posters to the local schools. What an incredible journey we are all on and we need your time, talent, ideas and resources. Together we have already changed the lives of several children. Together we WILL change the future of Ddegeya Village."