Teacher Jeanine

During recess on my first day of volunteering at Hopeland Preschool I had a nice chat with Teacher Jeanine. We sat at the little table in small wooden chairs (I’m used to these being a preschool teacher myself) and ate maize, which is a staple food item here in Uganda…it looks like sweet corn but is hard and is burned on a fire. You have to take your nails and pick off the kernels…I thought it tasted like popcorn kernels without salt or butter. We also ate hard boiled eggs and drank bottled coke. While we sat I asked her about Burundi, the country she is from. She went on to tell me about the deaths of her parents. That they died in the war. Her mother was murdered in bed alongside her 3 year old brother who survived. She was not at home during the killings but at boarding school with 2 other siblings. It was her older sister who broke the news of her mother’s death to her and she screamed in anguish for days. She loved her mother and the week prior had been very homesick and wanting to see her mom. I never quite heard what happened to her father. Once she was finished with school she heard about an opportunity to study in Uganda. It was an amazing deal as there was a sponsorship for the education coving the funds, but all Jeanine would have to provide was $300. This was an enormous amount of money but she said it miraculously came in. However once she paid the money and arrived to Uganda she found out the whole thing was a scam! She wasn’t bitter as she says that is what got her to Uganda. Once here she somehow got connected with those in YWAM. She did the DTS and was also able to do training at another school to be a teacher. She eventually married a Ugandan pastor. I met him briefly. He is in charge of 13 small churches. They live on faith as I don’t think the churches provide enough to support their family. Jeanine is the main teacher of the YWAM school, they get a little money from this but it mainly goes towards other school fees. They have 2 children of their own and one on the way, due next month. Jeanine’s 13 year old brother also lives with them (this is the one who was in bed with his mom when she was killed). They have just started a bead making business. They make necklaces and bracelets that they try and sell at the market to make some money on the side. They following day I went to see where they make these and bought a few to take home…it was such a blessing to support her. They have a small flat on the YWAM base. Normally both the husband and wife need to be on YWAM staff to be able to live there, but they have made an exception because she is the head teacher.

I love conversations like the one I had with Jeanine…getting a glimpse into her life…briefly experiencing and trying to understand the horrors and hardships that she has faced. Jesus let me not forget this faithful woman who continues to do your work!