What would you do with $50?
Published December 18, 2007 @ 12:08PM PT
$50 could probably buy two week's worth of grande mocha lattes at Starbucks, a couple tanks of gas or a pair of running shoes on sale. That same $50 recently created a miracle a world away and all through the vision of a young boy named Mugenyi.Sarah Cowan is a remarkable Peace Corps volunteer who has chosen the country of Uganda for her 2-year PC stint.
She is also working with Children of Uganda (www.childrenofuganda.org) at one of our orphan homes in the Rakai district. Rakai was one of the first and hardest affected regions in all of Uganda when the AIDS pandemic first hit the country.Sarah has been keeping a blog and updates it frequently . . . so if you would like to go to Africa (without a Visa or passport ) check out her musings at http://www.sarahinafrica.blogspot.com/.
In the meanwhile . . . let's head to Uganda and let one of Sarah's blog entries show us what an extraordinary young boy did with $50."Mentodi is guardian and grandfather to Mugenyi, a student of Children of Uganda in second grade who has lost both of his parents to AIDS. Mentodi used to repair shoes but is too sick to continue his work, so he is now farming potatoes and kasava to sustain himself, his wife and grandson. Farming in Uganda is not like that in America. It is usually done for survival and always by hand.
Earlier this year, Mugenyi's American sponsor sent extra money as a birthday present. We asked him what he wanted to do with the money -- remember he is in the second grade. He told us that he wanted to use the money to fix his grandfather's house because it was falling over.
After this, there was still a lot of money left over -- so we asked him what else he would like.He said, 'I would like to pay someone to help my grandfather in the garden because he is too old to do it by himself, and I am just too little to help. And also a chicken so my grandmother can eat eggs, she likes eggs.' How many second graders do you know that would be so selfless?"
So, what would you do with $50?
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