Two nights ago I was went to a friend’s house to hang out and watch a movie on his computer. We decided on “Coach Carter” because he had never seen it and it is one of my all time favorites… It is about a coach that is coaching an inner city basketball team in life and basketball. It is based on a true story and the athletes in the movie live in the ghetto of Richmond, California and come from broken homes. Most of the athletes came from broken homes that were struggling to financially survive each week. Coach Carter went on to explain how they opportunity to do whatever they wanted despite their background. If they went on to get an education and worked hard to pursue their dreams they could. Your probably thinking typical feel good movie … SO WHAT???
Here in Uganda my “sister” in the family I am staying with during training has graduated from University which is a rare and an honored accomplishment here. She is very smart but due to the 60% unemployment rate here in Uganda there isn’t much opportunity for her to get a job. There isn’t a middle class here either. 90% of the working Ugandans who do have jobs are farmers. It is no wonder that the moral in the schools (and the country for that matter) are low and the students don’t have a desire to learn.
I write all this to remind myself how fortunate I am to have been born and lived a country that I was able to go to college and get a job right after because of my “hard work”. Many people here compare it to winning a lottery… and I hit the Jackpot by just being born where I did. I also write to this remind myself of the amount of work that is ahead of me. I can’t get overwhelmed by what Uganda doesn’t have but just focus on my small part. Any change or progress that is made anywhere is made one step at a time. I can’t wait to get out of training and into my community!!
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