As an NCC Education student life can be exciting but also challenging, but that’s life! I find that in life very little comes for free and as such I have to work hard for everything I get. Daily life in Africa can be difficult where something as simple as a daily meal cannot be taken for granted and where attending school is a privilege and not a right.

  I begin my day at 6:00am by saying a short prayer to see me through the day. I then spend a few minutes reading through my notes, providing we have power because load sharing is a big problem in Uganda. Most of the time we don’t have power which makes reading difficult. During power outages I often have to light a candle to continue with my reading which can make my eyes hurt at times.

At 7:00 am, I prepare breakfast for my two younger sisters and two younger brothers. I also have to wash the dishes from the previous night and put the house in order before I depart for school. I travel approximately 2 kilometers from my home to school along a murrum road which is also used by public transport vehicles. Usually the weather conditions are poor and when its rains this results in traffic jams, mud and an increase in transport fees. Sometimes I walk part of the way and then wait for taxis which are in very short supply. By the time I get to school I am usually very late, dirty, and dusty from the mud on the roads and from the traveling vehicles and motorbikes which raise a lot of dust. I use a handkerchief to dust off my face and body before joining my colleagues in class.

My lessons end at around 2:00 pm after which I have to begin
my other responsibilities which include my job as a Potter at a building site. At the building site we are currently constructing a residential house for our client. Our team comprises three potters and six builders. My responsibility is to ferry construction materials like bricks, cement and water around the site. We use wheelbarrows for measurement purposes and load them with sand, cement and stones before mixing them with water to make concrete. We then load the mixture into metallic basins and take them to the builders. When the metallic basins are empty we reload them again. As there are only six builders and three potters on site, we work continuously until dusk each day. Each potter is paid 3000 Ugandan shillings a day which is only half of a builders’ wage. We use part of our daily salary to buy food which is 700 shillings for a plate of posho and beans, plus 100 Ugandan shillings for a glass of water. At the end of this I find I usually have 2000 Ugandan shillings left if I spend carefully.

At the end of the day I return home where I help my mother with tasks such as going to the market and buying food. I am raised by a single mother who has lot of responsibility. As the eldest boy I try to make her load lighter by trying to pay part of my college fees. My mother provides food for our family despite often not having enough money to provide for us for a full week. I often leave my mother doing the pilling while I go the village to for firewood that we use for cooking food. My day involves a lot of hard work and when I finally go to bed I am usually exhausted.

The Nsamizi Training Institute for Social Development, Uganda, is where I study as an NCC Education student. It provides me with a variety of research materials such as handouts and books which enable me to gain better understanding and knowledge of the programmes and topics I study. I enjoy the discussion forums most as they encourage us to conduct research and read, ahead of our lectures. Within a discussion forum we may be assigned a topic to discuss and present it in class. My dream is to become a Computer Technician. I know that I will make it some day and that I will enjoy the fruits of the pain and efforts that I have experienced in order to get there.

In conclusion my life has been a difficult struggle but the Lord has been on my side and will carry me through. It has not been an easy road but I am sure it will be worth it!

FRANCIS BENJAMIN KAAHWA
NSAMIZI TRANNING INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT UGANDA