I am about 50 hours in to my social work internship :). Here is a glimpse into the Off Tu environment:
First, the background: Off Tu Mission is an agency in mukono (the town i am staying in), which exists for children who have lived on the streets of kampala (check out http://www.envplan.com/abstract.cgi?id=d46j for a short abstract of more info). It was founded in 1998 by a German missionary family who who partnered with a few other Ugandans to form a tight-knit team brought together by the Lord!
First impressions of the facilities:
1. peace: the majority of the compound is open grass, trees, and space for playing football (well... soccer), running around, and talking under shady trees :). What a beautiful space!
2. Love! The people who run Off Tu are strong women and men who love the Lord, love children, love each other, and are tied together with commitment.
3. life :) the 15 children that live in the children's center are full of excitement, love, and creativity..
We spend our time here talking and learning from Mutti (mother in German), Julius (our great supervisor), Cisy, and Robert- who all play parental roles in the children's lives; playing games with the children, teaching a gym class at Off Tu Academy, and getting into some other teaching roles this week. Something that continue to amaze me is the perseverance, dedication, and faithfulness of all teachers. Wow. What amazing people God has created and gifted to invest, support, challenge, and train children!!
anyways....
The first week at Off Tu, the children were still on holiday, so our supervisor wanted us to see the environment from where the Off Tu children come from so we can better understand and relate to them. As we drove in the four-wheel drive down dusty dirt roads along the backstreets of Kampala, we saw the environment begin to change from crowded streets with lots of trinkets, clothes, shoes, etc. being sold to a more rural setting... the road becomes bumpier and we begin to see the small brick homes changing into single-room homes made of mud walls... we were entering into a slum of kampala.
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| This is a view of the slum as we neared. |
**now, here is where i become hesitant in telling the story because words can never give a complete understanding of an experience- they fail to capture the sparkle in one's eyes, the smells, the feelings completely. So, just know this is the point in the story where i struggle to share the physical, emotional, and spiritual reality and keep the balance of hope and hardship...**
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| We drove past this water on our way to another slum... the homes are basically sitting in a marsh! Rainy season comes... I don't know what happens. It looks beautiful though, and provides clean water when the rain comes! |
This specific slum, located at the bottom of a hill, I will describe from far off as appearing like a maze of playing cards that kids spend hours on... in entering into that maze of homes, paths weave through the lines of mud homes roughly containing a bed, a curtain for the door, and other possessions in the back. all for a family. Muddy water slowly ran in a dip on one side of the thin path between the homes. When rainy season comes, one can guess the damage of flooding, mud, and sickness that can seap in... Most of these are single-mother homes and fathers are not often in the picture. As we meandered past homes looking for one of the girls- Lovis, she found us from behind, bringing so much joy with her hugs and smiles. She brought us to her home to meet her mom and siblings. We chatted for a bit (well i should say, Julius and the mother chatted for a bit in Luganda), and then the mother presented MB (a fellow SW intern), Katherine, and I with necklaces she had made. As she placed the string of green, rolled-paper beads around my head, I was overwhelmed with thankfulness. Julius later told us that this mother was so thankful for the education, dedication, and love that Lovis was receiving...
this experience made me think about the vulnerability, resiliency, and strength in people, children specifically. Lovis can come to Off Tu and develop life skills, get an education, and have loving support but what about her family? What about her siblings.... she does not even know how many siblings she has... or who her father is... What about her mother, whom i greatly respect and admire for her perseverance in raising this family and starting up a new business? Is there support?
I see the importance of teetering the line of seeing the hope of the Lord using Off Tu mission in Lovis' life and the brokenness of economic poverty and non-committed relationships. May the Lord continue open the eyes of Christians in this place to take care of widows and orphans, and may He continue to bring spiritual, emotional, and physical restoration now- for we must not forget that His kingdom is for now.... and also fully not yet!
His Kingdom come and will be done among these beautiful children of kampala streets, and may Christians have ears to hear and eyes to see His calling on our lives- not action out of guilt but out of love!
