Compassion

There is a difference between pity and compassion, Stephen says. People who are compassionate are in it for the long haul. They understand the responsibility of giving back. The phrase “we can all do our share to make a difference” always felt like a cliché until I met Stephen. Stephen is a living, breathing example of a modern day giver. Stephen says, when you don't have anything it is easy to share. Maybe in material sense Stephen has nothing but I never met a man so rich in compassion, love, empathy and principles it could engulf all the hatred in the world.

Stephen grew up on the streets of Jinja, Uganda. An Orphan struggling to make ends met. In a place where there is much to feel hopeless about, Stephen kept his hopes up. In a place where dreams don’t come true, he never stopped dreaming. He worked as a house boy, took shelters in foster homes, took refuge in churches. He continued to study. Despite all odds, Stephen made it to college and when he graduated, he realized that the best way he could thank those who helped him— was by helping others who shared a similar struggle. With this determination, he took on the responsibility to care and educate for street children and orphans whose parents had been victim of AIDS and faced rejection by the society.

In his early twenties, Stephen started taking children from the streets of Jinja into his apartment. These children had lived significant years of their childhood on the street and had never been to school. Some had parents who were extremely poor and others were orphans. By 2002, Stephen had around 30 children and had moved into a bigger house. The children no longer slept on mats. Donors and volunteers brought beds and blankets for the kids. Now the children have their own bed, and Stephen is so proud. He doesn’t have much and the children need very little but Stephen has found ways to send all the children to school. They may not have new shoes but they shine what they have with pride. They have old uniforms and no backpacks but they are very grateful to be going to school.

Stephen strongly agrees that it is not just important to fulfill the children’s basic needs, ie: food, shelter and education; but also their emotional needs. As a trained and experienced counselor, Stephen dedicates much of his time listening and understanding the children. If you get to know the children of El Shadai you will find them happy, well cared for and extremely loved. You will also find that Stephen has instilled the principle of compassion and the importance of giving back in these children. They are active member of their community and champion volunteers.

El Shadai Foster Home keeps growing. A poor neighbor dies leaving her five children orphan, Stephen has to accommodate them in the house. There is always room in the house and posho and beans to eat on the stove. There are challenges but somehow they all seem to work out. Stephen’s goal is to send each of his children to college. Education is the only way out of poverty Stephen says. Stephen continues to engage in women’s group in his community. He continues to work for orphans and people with AIDS in Uganda. If you talk to Stephen about what he is currently engaged in, he will give you a long list of things. He is a 29 year old man with vision of a man with far more experience and a person who never stops giving. We are all capable of doing so much! It is not a cliché.

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