The one’s who have stolen my heart

Posted on 16th Jun by Adam − Category: Slums

There is a lot to sacrifice living somewhere like Uganda for a boy brought up in the comfort of the UK. Try going 4 months without any western chocolate. I am talking no McDonalds. Ever. Leaving behind the lives of friends, missing important birthdays, and weddings and celebrations that you know you should be a part of. Only seeing family through a computer screen and even then the internet connection is so slow that it’s not communication as any of those involved would like it.

And yet ask me if I miss home. Ask me if it is worth it. Ask me if I could give up now and go home, would I?

Today at Kasubi street club I was pretty stressed out. The kids were anxious to be doing anything else apart from everything we wanted to do with them. It was chaotic to say the least. Then in the middle of crying children, games that could only be called that in a very vague sense and more fights breaking out than I care to think about, I felt someone jump on my back.

Ian is a favourite of mine (I think it’s ok to have favourites…) He is a little dude. Cheeky. Always worth a laugh. He has words and imagination way beyond his 9 years. He had just finished school for the day and had come to hang out. I hadn’t seen him in a few weeks so that is exactly what we did. Ian and I took some time away from the madness of street club. Piggy backs, nearly getting charged at by a cow with some impressive horns and then catching up on the grass under the clear blue Ugandan sky. School, family, his time in the village with Jaja (Granny to you and me) during school holidays all on our list of things to discuss. Bliss.

He is just one of the many people here who has stolen my heart. There is no cost involved when I get to spend time with Ian. The sacrifice in those moments just seems non existent.

Adam