We Are Family

Saturday was a day of great celebration for St. Kizito Foundation. At St. Joseph Primary School in Nsambya, we gathered the students, parents, and guardians from the Kampala region for a meeting/celebration. Nearly 80 people were in attendance, including very young primary school students, many secondary school students, former students, and friends. There were several people present who were among the first scholars in 2001, as well as a few very new students, and some that hope to be in the future.
Wow!!!! It was truly a special day, filled with the presence of God, and also with the presence of those who were absent – all of our benefactors and friends in the US. There was an overwhelming expression of gratitude and a realization of the great gift of solidarity and connection that our students feel toward the many, many people who have reached out to St. Kizito Foundation. As they say in northern Uganda – apoyo matek - thank you very much!
Throughout the day, I felt a deep sense of something very special – a sense that we are family. This seems so cliché, but for those of us gathered, it was much more real. And it is our hope that it will be ever more real for all who are part of St. Kizito Foundation, in any way. It is nothing new to say that in this world we are all one family under God. But as we gathered, we truly saw and felt what that means in a new way. Admittedly, it is not the first time we have discovered the bonds that have been created by our ministry, with God’s grace and help. Nevertheless, it was a unique, affirming, and somewhat overwhelming realization. Simple scholarship – money given to pay a tuition – is not enough for the vulnerable children that we support. They seek to belong, to be loved, to know that they are important and have reason to hope. Many seek the family they don’t have. And in our gathering, it was very clear that we are looked upon as parents and family – and this is what makes the ministry of St. Kizito Foundation different for our scholars.
The most important part of the day, like any occasion, was the wonderful lunch that was provided for those gathered. For students (and parents) who usually have only the simplest, smallest meals, the feast of both meat and chicken, greens, peas, rice, potatoes, matooke (a mashed plaintain type dish cooked in banana leaves), posho (something like cornmeal mush and a staple for school children), and ice cold soda pop was fit for royalty or special holidays (even if we did eat it all with our fingers!). Rosaries and M&M’s from Cleveland were the icing on the cake!
For sure the day was more than a meeting or gathering to discuss issues and concerns. It was a family reunion – filled with hugs, expressions of love, fun, laughter, prayer, and lots of group photos. Because we really are family.