A Pocket Full of "Pen Friends"

As I enter the last week of my stay here in Uganda, I'm realizing that I desperately want to keep in touch with these children and know how they do on their exams and whether they go on to further education. The kids are also realizing that my time here is ending, and they have taken to writing me letters to tell me what they think about that. The letters are so sweet they speak for themselves.

From Mutesi Sophia (here they put the last name first):

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Dear Madam Shannah,

How are you today? I am writing this letter to thank for your paper you have send to us. It was very niece and also it was simple [this refers to an exam that I gave to them-- the fact that I made a photocopy for each child was a cause for tremendous jubilation]. Madam Shannah thank you for teaching us English. Now we are very powerful, now we can speak some English, we can write a letter. But if you leave me I will not be okay. But you better come back. But I thank you for teaching. Goodbye.

Yours faithfully,
Mutesi Sophia

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Mutesi Sophia is the best student in the entire 90 person class. It took me a while to figure this out, because she rarely raises her hand and when she speaks, she covers her mouth shyly, like many of the girls here. But when I correct the exercise books the kids turn in, hers always glows with accuracy and boldness. I asked about her at school, and it turns out that even though she is only 12, she lives alone with her older brother, who is 13 or 14. Her mother left them, and the father lives on a different compound with a different wife. Mutesi Sophia is totally going it alone. I decided to write back to her and tell her that I would like to be her "pen friend," which is African English for penpal, and that I was interested in what her future plans are. I just want to make sure this kid makes it all the way. In response to my letter to her, this is what she wrote back:

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Dear Madam Shannah,

Thank you for replying to my letter I wrote to you dated 10/10/09. Thank you very much for the exams you organised for us. May God bless you abundantly.

I hereby inform you that I'm interested in studies, I hope to go in high institutions, i.e., secondary - university and if God willing I would like to be a "Doctress" when I grow up.

I'm very grateful for the parental love you have showed me a the many the many children in Primary Six to choose me as your pen friend. I'm willing to respond positively. I will be very grateful to hear from you any more.

Yours faithfully,

Mutesi Sophia
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So I've got myself one pen friend, and hopefully that way I can make sure this shining star doesn't fade. She has a tenaciousness that I admire deeply. She gets herself up every day, does her work faithfully, and comes to school even on Saturdays, which isn't mandatory. I just hope the Ugandan mail system doesn't foil my plan to keep up with her.

My little guy, Odongo Jacob, also offered himself up with the following request:

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Madam, Please, I want you to be your pen friend. Am happy you teach very well. Is the reason what I want to say to you. I send to you this song:

Teacher why your leaving but what should we do? but what should we do?

Odongo Jacob Im myself. I now you are a good teacher to me to me you are live what should we do?

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Odongo Jacob is a sweetheart. One day when I found some time to have the kids do free writing, he wrote a beatiful piece about how much he loves his father, and how good his father is to him. I was so impressed I mentioned it to the whole class. This tiny, quiet boy completely beamed. They are never praised publicly, and I'm seeing the effect of even just a little praise as some of the quietest kids light up one by one.

Anyway, all told, I've accumulated about eight pen friends, with six more days to go. I also have two boys who have requested pen friends from my country, but they do not want it to be me (so, ah, I am taking volunteers. The good news is, the letters to these fellows can be short... as you can see, their English is somewhat... sparse).

These kids have so, so much to say. They have completely stolen my heart and are teaching me so much about joy and perseverance. And to think that they are the ones that keep telling me they are grateful! Today, for example, I received 29 avocadoes, 10 oranges, 4 mangoes, 2 massive papayas, a guava, and a jug of milk straight from a cow. As each of these gifts was presented, the children kneeled and said, "Madam, thank you for teaching us."

No, children. Thank YOU.