Today morning, I met a good man with his wife.

Today started like any other day.

I have been to Hoima town various times and I very much enjoy the cool air of the town during the night. whenever I am around Hoima town, I reside at a place manned by Catholic Sisters. It is a wonderful place. But that is the story for another day.

The purpose of my trip was to participate in a charity walk which was organised by Little Hospice Hoima .

Let me first let you know that staff at Hospice Africa Uganda did a great job to organise this walk. They pulled the crowds. They mobilised people from all walks of life. They indeed worked out the Phrase: Palliative Care is everyone's business. They made the phrase actionable. The walk was attended by religious leaders, children, business men and women, students from high institutions of learning, members of the Palliative Care Association of Uganda, and many more categories of people. The chief walker was His Grace Stanley Ntagali,

But let me go straight to the purpose of my writing. I met a good man and his wife at the walk. The man was the Chief Guest at the function. He came in humbly and simply just on time before the walking started. This man is a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development. He is now a Presidential Adviser. He is a Phd with life long experience of 40 years in civil service.

I am talking about Dr Kabagambe Kaliisa. He was invited late to to be chief guest at an important function. to raise funds to care for the dying and suffering. He obliged to a two months notice. he mobilized his friends from near and far. He talked to many. He reached out. He went back to his former work places and spoke to all including support staff.http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-27789108

Yes he did, some contributed UGX 5000 and he respectfully tagged the amount in a special envelope, wrote name and contacts of one that contributed and put it separate from the rest. He therefore curried about 100 envelopes, each with the name, contacts and amount of one that contributed. Some contributed as individuals while others were organisations. So the envelopes he held and read out had the notables and the least. But not the least in spirit because look, they have less but have the hearts to give. So among the envelopes he held, The Attorney General, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, The Minister of Energy and many others were among.  

Now, let me tell you why I call him a good man. He was very detailed. He greeted nearly everyone at function with a smile, he walked all through with the crowd, he respectfully received, curried in his bag and read out the names of all that gave him a contribution to bring. He respectfully sat at the function until the last speaker. To say the least, he was warm and welcoming, I approached him, had a pleasant greeting, asked for his business card and he noted it was fine to drop him an email. I bet this man may not even remember who I said I was by now but the impact was great.

There is something unique about senior citizens in our country. Some of these men are so experienced, principled, full of authority yet professional, warm and simple. They are so detailed.

I keep wondering what my generation is about! Did I tell you it was a charity walk ? I prepared and curried my small contribution but wait, I should have done better! I didnt even think about letting you know before the event that there was a noble cause which you could support!

Lets pray and act. We need to up our game. We sure have mentors to learn from.

But tell me, what is the police running after people in Kampala ?  They are talking about #Agelimit. What is it about ?

Thoughts on My 2nd Trip to Ssese Island

Have you been on a ferry from Entebbe to Kalangala Island ? i mean in the Pearl of Africa. Actually the boarding site in Nakiwogo...the ride is cool. The ferry left at 2pm last weekend. I sat around which guys. Let me we squeezed around. Eight people on small chairs. But it was cool. I travelled with posh girls, those of the city. I enjoyed the stories and the perfume oh hehehe. We prayed. 

Let me tell you something quickly. In Uganda, there are guys (yes I called them guys and I mean men and women) who had their childhood in the city.
So these guys went to kindergarten and top class. Yes in top class they spoke fluent English, they were driven to school, they owned school bags and school shoes. Let me check, I am talking about the period around 1991, 1992, 1993.

So these guys missed playing in the mad and running after chicken in the compound. Run after the thing until you get it to loose its life to a plate. They missed grazing cows and goats and seeing a specific banana plant grow from a tiny thing to a tall tree and then huge hanging banana.

They lacked listening to stories by the very old. Some of those stories one listened to and had night mares. Stories or a very clever rabbit that would attend people's parties.
These guys missed building small house. They missed games of good small portions in tins and playing maama na taata. Let me tell you these guys missed the practical of slaughtering the chicken, the practical of holding a goat to be cut, the practical of tapping gashing blood from a cow’s/bull’s throat after a sharp panga has passed.

These guys missed eating lunch at all homes on the village! They missed sharing food with the village peers! They missed the taste of the not pealed sweet potatoes from different pots. Guys missed riding wooden bicycles.

Let me tell you, these guys missed attending every party in the village! Who told you must be invited to a party to attend ? just show up, have a piece of meat just at the cooking place and run! afterall the whole village knows you would show up!

They missed collecting firewood and fetching water. Oh how we told stories at the well. The guys missed feeling lucky just because a rat crossed a path without hesitation as one approached. They missed asking a funny bird how, when and who they would marry. hmmmm

But get me right, these guys do not necessarily have regrets about what they missed! Its hogwash! It’s villagish! These guys enjoyed video games and sports bikes!

And by the way these guys are in the city forever and some who cam from allover want to stay with them for ever.

But look, I want to go back when I retire. I want to go attend the village meeting. I want to greet and talk to my neighbors daily. I want to the farm, to see bananas grow. I want to breathe fresh air. I want to walk and to drive to church. I want to relax, attend parties and enjoy a hearty laugh with old women.

But wait, is the Age limit debate still on raging on in Uganda? See you soon!