As I ventured further and further from city life, I became overwhelmed by the number of children I saw. There were children in the trees, children picking crops, children cooking food, children running barefoot down roads, children asleep under trees, and children selling fruit at stands. There were children caring for children, caring for children.
According to the CIA World Factbook, the mean age in Uganda is 15 and both the rate of growth and birthrate second only to Niger. Last weekend was my first real encounter with those statistics.
In Mayuge, so many beautiful and young faces smiled at me as I passed by. So many curious small hands reached out to pat mazungu skin. So much high pitched laughter echoed as we played games in the road. So many eyes traced our every move. So many little beings, just eager to be noticed.
I am very thankful that I was able to spend a few days experiencing a different life. I know our building efforts only make a tiny contribution to a much larger cause. However, I hope that we gave back as much as the people of Mayuge gave to me.
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