‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40
This was such a day. It was a Sunday and I feel like I got to live the gospel, just a little.
The plan was fairly low key and even involved me buying new shoes. Derrick and I were meeting at the usual place, Café Javas in Old Kampala. We were going to take some clothes to a young woman and maybe talk with some of the street kids, likely also getting them some food. But afterwards we were going to shop the Sunday street market. I was planning on getting some new black flats for work because mine are looking a little ratty. And I was also considering buying a new backpack.
Phase 1 – According to plan
We did manage to find the young woman Derrick wanted to give the clothes to. She lives in the slum and is a roadside vendor of sorts. She wasn’t in her usual spot when we arrived so we took a little tour into a bottle recycling lot to ask after her. When we walked back by her usual place she was there. She was happy with the clothing Derrick brought her, and we also left her with one item from my bag – a sweater. We took the rest of my things on to another place for other girls or women to access.
I was amused that she was wearing a red I am Canadian shirt. She consented to a photo with me, and then also in one of her new shirts. She was friendly and polite and it as a pleasure meeting her.
Phase 2 – Mark’s place
From there we walked on to a new place Derrick decided to show me, where we could leave the clothes. I think it was a spur of the moment thought for him, but it was meant to be.
The place we went to is a large room, though I was shown later how it is actually 3 smaller rooms but without the walls in place. There was a man working with several boys, teaching them to box. They were clearly very into the lesson. We were greeted by Mark, the man who runs the operation there for the benefit of the street kids and other children in the neighbourhood.
Mark showed me a table with African carvings and some paintings displayed. He explained that one of the things he does for the young people is teach them carving and painting (he may have people come in to teach on a voluntary basis. It was a bit loud because the boys were boxing)
The place is somewhere the young people can come to hang out, sleep and be safe. There were some boys sleeping along the walls in the area where the boxing was going on. You know they had to be exhausted because that would not be an easy place to sleep.
The middle section is where I was talking with Mark. Then in the third section were three more boys sleeping.
Phase 3 – The clinic
These poor fellows were sick. One had already received malaria treatment, so his sleeping was part of his healing. But two of the boys had not yet seen a doctor. It’s not an option to seek medical help without any money. Derrick looked at the boys and decided he had to take them to the clinic. So we headed off with the two sick boys and one other boy who was helping the sickest of the two walk. We were also joined by one more boy along the way.
My mother senses were firing hard on the walk. Derrick led the way, the second sick boy and the late addition were next and I decided to pull up the rear. I didn’t want that poor sick child falling or having issues without someone there to catch him and help him up. So I noticed fairly quickly that he was barefoot. I know it’s not cold in Kampala, but most people at least have flip flops. My heart broke. I wanted to get him shoes immediately and planned to get them before we left him. It didn’t happen, but for good reason.
When we got to the little clinic in Kisenyi, the doctor was able to get to the boys fairy quickly. There was only one patient in the front area, a young woman their who looked like she was getting some fluids or medicine via syringe. The boys had blood drawn and we learned they both have malaria, and severe enough that the doctor wanted to keep them and put them on IV fluids overnight. The older of the two boys also has typhoid, which explains why he needed help walking.
I cannot imagine how they would be doing if Derrick had not taken charge and gotten them to the doctor. I was more than happy to use my shoe money to cover the medical costs. Derrick went back later and the boys were still at the clinic, still weak but sleeping. When he checked on them the following day they were both healthy enough for him to get them something to eat.
Phase 4 – waiting, talking, walking eating
While we were waiting for the doctor’s diagnosis, we went outside to sit. In the same way I describe in my first “Derrick” post City Centre Sunday, the street boys flock to him. The doctor gave me a chair to sit on which it felt rude to decline, so I wasn’t right in the thick of the conversation. It did allow me to get this photo, which I think shows how truly engaged Derrick is with these youth, and how they look up to him, trust and respect him. And I think he also represents some hope because he was one of them. The one boy had this amazing calendar pendant around his neck. I got to feel smart because it was me that figured it how the calendar mechanism works.
Once we were given the diagnosis and paid the clinic, it was time to get the remaining entourage some food and drink. Given the medical bills we had just paid, the cash situation ruled out getting everyone a full meal. Instead we went back to the same place as my first day and got the boys chapati and water again. 2 of the boys really didn’t want chapati, so Derrick sent them off with a small amount of money to get something else.
Again the two oldest boys expressed their gratitude and then they politely walked off to enjoy their meal. There was one boy remaining and Derrick had another plan for him
Phase 5 – full meal deal and a pair of shoes
We took this boy into a restaurant. I am not sure how to describe it, because I don’t want my first world friends to view it in a negative way. It was bustling. There were several different “kitchens” serving people. So many tables. An organized chaos of sorts. I was amazed by what the woman running our area was able to produce from just a series of small clay cooking pots, and a deep freezer/fridge full of beverages.
He received a plate of rice, matoke and meal and a bowl with a large piece of chicken with the juices. We were at a small table so the woman in charge ordered him to wash his hands (there is always a hand washing station) and then sat him at a larger table. He ate EVERYTHING. He cleaned the plate entirely and I sneaked a peak as he drank the juice after making sure he got every piece of meat off the chicken bones. He finished up his pepsi and washed his hands and we set off again.
While walking to get him the meal I noticed that he was also barefoot and I pointed that out to Derrick. So the final thing we did before parting ways with this last youth was get him a pair of new sandals so he doesn’t have to walk around barefoot any longer.
It was such a full and rewarding day. I am truly blessed.
A Travelling Accountant 