This is a story of how one journey on a MAF plane made a dream come true in Uganda this month.
Fifty years ago, in 1967, a British girl in her twenties with a heart for mission and a vision for teaching arrived in Uganda.
For two years, she lived and worked among the people of the Karamajong tribe in northern Uganda. Teaching at a school for Ugandan girls, she developed a love for the people of this region and a passion to see education transform the lives of her pupils. Education was the key to opening up new opportunities for the young girls she taught- girls from a tribe steeped in ancient traditions. A tribe where stepping out of the basic life of their African village was something brave and extraordinary.
Sharing her Christian faith with her students was also a privilege and joy; she loved to see the freedom this brought into the girls' lives.
In 1969, this teacher had to leave Uganda and head back to England. Although she was returning to a happy event, preparing to marry her future husband, her heart was heavy and her emotions raw as she said goodbye to her beloved Karamajong students.
Her deep grief at the goodbyes spilled over into tears which she endeavored to hide behind dark sunglasses. She told me how her eyes ached from crying and the tears kept flowing as she sobbed her way out of a country she had come to love.
She thought she would never return to this land- and never see her beloved Kotido again.
Meanwhile, in Uganda, rumblings of trouble and darkness were beginning to brew as the notorious Idi Amin began his quest for power. Life was about to change and progress halted for the people of this nation as Amin's reign of terror took hold.
Fifty years later, Uganda is a different land. Peace was eventually restored. Uganda's capital city, Kampala, has seen great development. Education is more freely, although not universally, available.
The missionary teacher has followed Uganda's progress progress keenly from her home in England. She has been faithful in praying for this country. She was able to keep contact with some of her former students and was delighted to see some of them continue their education and move into professions they may never have dreamed of a generation before. One student even visited her in England many years later!
But still she never returned to Uganda...
...until now! Forty-eight years after leaving Uganda, my Mum finally came back to step foot on the land she has prayed for and dreamed of for so many years!
In October last year, when my Mum heard that her daughter, son-in-law and three of her grand-children would be moving to Kampala, she allowed herself to dream of returning to Uganda. And not only returning to Kampala, but perhaps even joining Andrew, her MAF pilot son-in-law, to fly over the place where she once lived and worked all those years ago.
That would be amazing.
Three weeks ago, my Mum's dream became a reality! Whilst visiting us here for a holiday, Andrew found that there was space for Mum to come along on a MAF flight as an extra passenger, up to Kotido. Exactly the region where Mum had been based and wanted to fly to! In addition, Dad was able to join her- and there was even space for me!
This was super exciting for Mum, as she now had the opportunity to show her husband the place where she had invested two years of her life shortly before their marriage- and her daughter would see part of her history too.
So it was a significant day, that Monday in August, as my Mum joined a MAF flight and brought some of her family along, piloted by her very own son-in-law! After so many years, it would be exciting to see what had changed, moved on and progressed- and incredible to revisit a place that held such meaning for Mum.
We arrived at Kajansi Airfield early, as the mist was still lifting and dew was heavy on the grass around the stationary MAF planes:
There was plenty of time to get our tickets issued in the passenger's office and even enjoy a cup of tea before heading out to board the plane:
Mum and Dad settled into their seats as our friendly pilot prepared for the journey ahead!
Although there were other passengers flying to work projects, mum and dad were able to get front row seats. They enjoyed the views over Lake Victoria as we took off into the African skies:
Andrew lent them his aerial maps of Uganda. Mum pointed out the places she had worked and travelled through in the 1960s, relating stories of terrible pot-holed roads and frightening bus journeys! This modern-day MAF flight was a breeze compared to her travels of yesteryear!
The plane lifted higher and the views were striking, as we sailed over villages set out in traditional style:
One passenger alighted at Moroto- so we took advantage of that to stretch our legs and grab a photo opportunity!
At Moroto, Mum was promoted, as she was able to join the pilot right up in the cock-pit at the very front of the plane! She was happy to be in a prime position as Andrew now prepared to fly us on the next leg- to Kotido:
Eventually, our MAF plane swept low and came in to land at Kotido to drop off two of Andrew's passengers who work with a Catholic mission. We were greeted by the sight of a young herder, busy throwing rocks in the direction of the cattle to warn them off the airstrip:
Now it was time for Mum to climb down and stand upon the rocky soil of the land she once lived on. It was time for her to greet the curious children gathered around the plane- children who were part of the people group she had lived among a few generations earlier. Suddenly overwhelmed by emotion, it was hard for all of us to watch as Mum's eyes filled with involuntary tears: her love for the people she cared for welled over.
Trying out her little-remembered Karamajong language, Mum addressed the children on the airstrip- causing them to roar with laughter! They erupted with even more hilarity when she attempted a song she had once known!
The other aid worker passengers on the flight were interested in my mother's history and gathered us together for some photos, which one of the ladies joined us for:
All too soon, we had to board the plane and say farewell to the Kotido airstrip and the children who had congregated around us, greatly interested in us foreigners. My Mum sat by the window and prepared to wave goodbye for a second time to the place she has held in her heart for the past fifty years.
It wasn't an easy time for her... Let's just say that many tissues were needed on the following leg of the journey. For me, seeing my own mother so moved meant that she wasn't the only one needing those tissues either!
One of the aspects of the visit to Kotido which gave rise to emotion was the shock my Mum felt at seeing so many children existing in poverty, still herding animals and wearing basic cloths as coverings.
Where was the progress?
Why weren't these children in school?
It was hard for my Mum to see so little change after such a long period of time and after all the aspirations she had for the children of this region as a teacher such a long time ago. Sadly, the Karamoja region remains as one the most neglected areas of Uganda. It was tough to see this reality and not be in a position to bring any radical or lasting change for the better.
However, she has steeled her determination to continue to pray for the people of Karamoja and uphold their cause as best she can once she returns to England :-)
Andrew still had one more passenger, an aid worker with "Food for the Hungry" to fly up to Moyo, near the border with South Sudan. This time, my Dad had a turn riding next to the pilot. We had some stunning views to marvel over as we headed up to Moyo, swooped over the great River Nile and landed on the bush-strip:
At Moyo, we said goodbye to the last passenger of the day. We were able to hop down from the plane and use the VERY basic long-drop facilities situated near to the airstrip. (I have to say that we were grateful when that experience was over!)
Finally, our MAF pilot guided us back into his plane:
An hour and a half later, we landed at MAF Uganda HQ in Kajansi:
It had been a wonderful, enlightening, poignant day.
My Mum was thrilled with this special opportunity that she had been blessed with. We were all so thankful to be part of it- including the other passengers on Andrew's flight, who loved hearing my Mum's story and way she was able to share part of her history and love for Uganda with us all.
What a privilege to join that MAF flight and witness a dream come true!
