Let Freedom Ring!

I know I’m a bit late, but Happy 4th of July!

As you might guess, there were no fireworks here, although the heat lightning was pretty impressive. No baseball, hot dogs, or apple pie either. But still it was a fine day.

In the true spirit of sharing each other’s feast days and celebrations, the Sacred Heart sisters (our hosts) helped us to make the day feel “like home.” We were treated to American pancakes for breakfast, which started the day off very well. Then, together we organized quite a feast for dinner. The fun was actually as much in the planning and preparation as it was in the meal itself!

So for all those who like guacamole, imagine this – homemade guac made from avocados just picked from the tree, with homegrown tomatoes and onions and lemon juice, also just picked. Add homemade hot chips and it was unbelievably good. And it was made even better because we all helped make it. We enjoyed our treat along with many local foods, and the sisters even barbequed for us in the true spirit of the 4th – goat roasted on a charcoal grill!

Father Don and I, along with fellow American Elizabeth, tried to impress the group by singing God Bless America and other patriotic tunes – a valiant effort for sure, but…….

All in all, it was a pretty good 4th of July celebration. Especially since I really don’t care for hot dogs all that much.

As we celebrated the independence of the US, my thoughts were drawn to reflecting on freedom and what it really means. Oddly, it is being away from the US, here in Uganda, that has helped me to really understand the word.

As human beings, we can never be fully free in this life. There will always be needs and obligations that keep us busy or weigh us down. But human freedom is something to which we are all entitled.

I am accustomed to living with the ability to make choices about my life – from what I will eat to the path my life will follow. To quote a major airline, “I am now free to move about the country and the world.” I am free to move through my days and my life with many options and opportunities. Certainly problems arise, life changes, and choices must be made, actions taken or not taken. But I am essentially free to make my own decisions as I live my life.

Yesterday I met with a St. Kizito student named Oscar. He is a formerly abducted child soldier who returned from captivity only to find his family had been killed by the rebels. In explaining his struggles, he told me that his brother, killed in the massacre, had a wife and children. Since he is the only remaining male in the family, he is expected to be responsible for this family. Like many other young people, the war and its many effects have given a burden to Oscar that he is not free to decline. Oscar can barely exist and move forward due to the trauma he has endured, but he is not free to work through his problems without the weight of other responsibilities always rearing their heads. This situation is typical here in war affected Acholiland, where many die from hunger, violence, and illness. Young people are burdened beyond their capabilities even before they finish growing up.

The people here are also not free in terms of health., Mosquitos are everywhere, and most carry malaria. By the time most children are walking they have been infected with the gift that keeps on giving. There is no way yet to avoid this parasite – the freedom to live a healthy life is gone before life really gets started.

Add to this the rapidly rising food prices and shortage of goods. Sugar, a main staple in the Ugandan diet, cost about 1600 schillings per kilogram last year. On Monday, it cost 3000 schillings. But wait, because it gets worse. On Tuesday, the price had reached 5000 schillings! Sugar may not seem so very important, but here many school children are given only tea with sugar for breakfast. Without the sugar there are no calories, and hunger prevails until their late lunch at 1:30 or 2:00.

There is little they can do to help their situation. These people are not really free. Yes, they can make decisions about what to do each day, but the choices are more and more limited every day. They even lack the freedom to speak out about their needs. Their lives are mostly out of their control.

The most frustrating thing for me to accept, however, is that almost no one in the world will accept these people. It is nearly impossible for someone from east central Africa to obtain a visa to travel to the US, and also to many other developed countries. Even for those who have the opportunity, they are not free to see the world.

So as we enjoy yet another year of independence in the USA, let us realize just what that freedom means, and how blessed we are to have it.