February 10, 2005

Dear Family and Friends,
This story begins several years ago at the Batwa pygmy settlement of Kitariro. Money had been stolen from my purse and the two responsible have been found. I am meeting with them both. One of these, Timothee, a young pygmy, confesses. The money stolen was very small. Scott and I had been providing free medical care, food in times of hunger, seeds and tools for planting and clothing. What had been given Timothee was far more than the small sum he had stolen.
Why would he steal from me? I was hurt that Timothee had not approached me and asked for help. What I found out stunned me. Timothee didn’t have money for food, salt, sugar, soap, or for a washbasin. It was a revelation to me that this young man and many others like him felt hopeless and ashamed. The wages they could earn by working in a neighbor’s field (owned by someone of the dominant culture) was usually in the form of food and was inadequate to feed them. Certainly there was no money to buy necessities.
Sometimes it is the difficult thing that happen which teach us what God wants us to know. While we thought we were giving the Batwa what they asked for, it was apparent that a fresh approach was needed. This young man required some kind of work so he could be proud of himself, something where he could have those basic necessities without begging or stealing, and something where his future would be secure.
I conceived, shortly thereafter, that an informal vocational program should be started. One of those programs was masonry, taught by a local mason. Tools, sand, a little cement and some bricks were purchased and lunch was provided. Soon practice walls were being constructed. I needed some remodeling done on the nurses house, the mason and his students did it. A pit latrine was required and they built it. A nursery school needed repairs and they did the repairs. Timothee was quite clever it turned out. He became the mason’s assistant.
Last month Timothee graduated and asked for a letter of recommendation from me. Timothee said that he could make 3,000 Uganda shillings a day ($1.75) as a mason and exclaimed that he would never beg or steal again!! This is the kind of dignity that can only be earned, it cannot be given. God in his economy had changed the whole program and in the process both Timothee and I found that we were on new and more fulfilling paths. I witnessed how God transformed someone who was headed the wrong direction, setting his feet on solid ground. I changed also, becoming more aware of ways to teach people to help themselves. Praise God for his mercy and love for us, He who loves us where ever and whom ever we are.
The pygmies are now participating in several programs including knitting, carpentry and adult education. Currently a community center is being built with the hopes of expanding the vocational training and to have a place for the Batwa to meet to discuss spiritual, social, and political issues.
Thanks for all your help, it is most appreciated.
Weberle Manonga,
Carol and Scott