Sweet singing, jiggers and hope

Our welcome to Ogoloi was much quieter than to Bukedea. We soon learned why as we were led into the local church building that currently houses the Carepoint. We followed the singing children, ducking down to go through the door and into the dark, oversized hut. Handmade signs hung throughout the structure, welcoming us to the rural village. 

We sat in chairs as we were introduced to the children sitting on the floor in front of us. The sun shone through the building in gentle rays as we listened to Pastor Moses share the village's sad news. Two funerals were being held that morning due to malaria. When we expressed our sympathy to their village, Moses explained that premature deaths were common among their people. I felt such sympathy for these people as they battle such a preventable disease. The price for malaria medicine in Uganda is approximately $7. It is a sad reality when people die when such a small amount of money could save them. 

Despite the somber beginning, our time in Ogoloi was a joyful one. Several caretakers greeted us at the end of day one. Halfway through their song some of the children joined them, and then all of the children joined in, singing and dancing. We couldn't contain ourselves, as we all danced together in one big group. 

Since I didn't have a sponsored girl in this village, I devoted my time to any child that walked by, tickling them and smiling in their general direction.  I gained the affection of two little girls, Juliet and Rhoda. These two were just adorable, clinging to me for several hours out of the day. 

One of my favorite memories from the trip happened while just doing nothing. Without any agenda in mind, I was able to share a sweet moment with a group of six to eight young girls sitting inside the church. With two girls sitting on my lap and others gathered around close, we sang sweet songs of praise. 

As in Bukedea, there were joyful moments and heartbreaking ones. 

Ogoloi was unique in that it sits farther out into the bush. The village is not influenced by a city, and the overall atmosphere was just more simple. The huts were a little larger, but the children seemed less kept. 

One child in particular was at the center of our attention throughout the week. Thomas was a young boy with HIV who was brought into the program last December. His murky eyes, sweet smile, and curious attitude had one of us carting him around or taking his picture more often than not.

Our group learned of a young boy, John, who was found with jiggers in his legs and feet. These small parasites make their way into the skin, killing nerves and laying eggs that turn into worms. The only way to get them out is to dig through the skin, extracting them with a needle. When Julius found him, the jiggers were so bad the boy couldn't even walk. On top of that, he was also severely malnourished. The boy's father is mentally disturbed, and a drunk. He has chased the mother away and beats her when she returns to care for the children. 

This was another heartbreaking story that made me angry when I first heard it. The great thing is that when this boy was discovered, he was helped. He and his siblings are getting food through the Carepoint now and are much healthier. Julius took the time to dig out the jiggers and will receive the care needed to keep them from taking over his body again. 

In a world that is so hopeless, these children have found some refuge in a program that is funded by people they don't know. This program is meeting needs that would otherwise go unmet. I was, and still am, very proud to be a supporter of Children's HopeChest. 

After seeing the problems this world has to offer, I have felt much like a stranger in my own home.