Melissa meeting Alice

The Stott family are in Uganda visiting their sponsored child, Alice, and are reporting back with their thoughts on the contrast between their lives and those of the family they are supporting.

Helen shares their stories for us:

Today, my seven year old daughter met her sponsored child. This is her thoughts on the meeting, along with those of her brothers, and finally my own.

Melissa, age 7

Today I went to my sponsored child Alice’s house. It was nothing like I thought and I was very nervous. At first we were both shy. Then Alice reached to hold my hand and I was happy and surprised. Alice’s mum had made a special lunch of mashed bananas and peanut sauce. It smelled nice, and I hoped I would like it, but it tasted very weird.

I loved giving her a dress which matched the one I was wearing. We looked good standing together and she smiled a lot then. But I found it hard to give her the toy dog I had bought for her as I really liked it myself. I was very sad and only gave it because Mum made me. In Alice’s house I saw no other cuddly toys or games.

You can see a video of Melissa and Alice.

Cody, age 11

We gave them a few gifts, and in return they gave us a live chicken!  When they did that I felt like I couldn’t say no, but I wondered what we were going to do with it.  When they were chasing the chicken everywhere I felt it strange that Mum wasn’t saying that we didn’t need any presents.

You can see a video of the chicken being chased.

I was really concerned about the chicken, as its legs were tied up and it was in the back of the car on a bumpy road.  I felt sorry for it as we were going to eat it tonight, but then we gave it to a poor family we went to meet, and that made me feel much better.

Tanner, age 13

When we arrived I thought the house was not much, but then I learnt that Alice’s father built it, and it took him a year, and so he must be very proud of it

You can see a video of Tanner in front of Alice’s house.

I think the sponsorship money is well spent.  They’re better off now.  They have more time to use their land and trees.  I thought it was clever how Alice’s father used the bananas to feed the family and sold the coffee to earn some money.

We’re rich in the UK.  If a person from the UK had to live in their house for a week, they wouldn’t manage it.  We don’t need the money as much as them.

Helen, age (not telling)

I’m not sure what I expected from meeting our sponsored child Alice, but in retrospect, I think I must have expected a destitute, struggling family who could not survive without me.  Whether this was my Western ego, or what the media had fed me, I’m not sure.  What greeted me was a clean, tidy, and proud father and mother who laid out a picnic on plastic chairs and seemed to be doing well.

Alice’s father grew coffee, banana, maize and other vegetables.  With some of his land, he had set up a small private school, and was hoping to eventually turn a profit from it (just as a business owner in the UK would).   Somehow I felt cheated, and for the first half of our time together, tried to reconcile whether my money was really needed here.

As we talked more however, I understood a bit more about why he was now in such a good position.  Four years ago World Vision arrived in his community.  They helped him understand how to make more nutritious food, drilled a borehole close by, and provided some basic needs like blankets for the children to sleep on.  With the worry of malnutrition and the burden of water behind them, the family could dream, plan, and move towards a better future for the next generation.  Alice’s father talked of his hope to make enough profits that he could send Alice and her sisters and brother to university.

I am impressed by her father’s ambition, and feel fortunate to be a small part of seeing it happen.

Tomorrow, I will post another blog, about what I think my children have learnt during their trip to Uganda, and also, what I have learnt about them.

We are in Uganda for another few days, and would love to answer any questions you have, or read your comments.  You can comment in this blog, or head to World Vision’s Facebook page and leave us your thoughts.  We’ll do our best to respond to any questions you, or perhaps your children, have.  Also, on Facebook, you can see more photos of our meeting with Alice, whether you are a Facebook member or not.