The Amazing Highs and the Surreal Lows

Yesterday, I had a lovely invitation to attend a 50th Anniversary of the advent of the Nyakahoja Primary and Secondary School of Mwanza.  The event began with a celebratory Mass at St. Francis Xavier Church that abuts the school's property.  Mass was attended by 400 plus students and their families who sang and dance with tremendous exuberance and spirit.  Following the Mass I was graciously invited to a breakfast reception with the Bishop, attending priests, and Sisters of the school.  Added festivities were scheduled, but I had a commitment to take my students swimming so I had to bow out of the afternoon of varied speeches, more dance, and my favorite "drums."

I made it back to school in a timely fashion, and I was greeted by the first group of swimmers for this semester's swim program.  This week, 22 boys from Form Two were scheduled to participate, and they were eager to go!  Herding them into one daladala (public bus that sits 16 comfortably but generally travels with 30) we were off to the pool which takes approximately 45 minutes in travel between walking and the public transportation.

En route to the pool, the students and I witnessed from the daladala a man pleading for his life as a mob doused him with petro and then lit him on fire.  Evidently, they were taking the law into their own hands for his crime of stealing.  It was explained to me that if he had been arrested he would have bribed the police, and or if there was a trial for his crime it would have taken months, and he would have escaped elsewhere.  My question was  - How if he stole because he was hungry? Does any crime justify that action?

Today in church, my prayers were for the "thief," the mob, and for my students who appeared resolved to accept the horrific act that they witnessed. 

Students of Nyakahoja Secondary and Primary School celebrate the 50th anniversary of their school.

 

90 degrees - a refreshing dip in the wake of tragedy.