Here is a postscript that may be of interest to those of you that are following the story about Muhamud Lubega, my long lost sponsored 'child'. Muhamud paid me a surprise visit today in Kampala, accompanied by his boxing coach, James, with whom he's been friends for ten years. Muhamud brought baby pictures of his two children to show me - very cute!
It turns out that Muhamud's long term dream is to become a boxer - "boxing champion of America". Uganda has a long tradition of boxing but the sport is woefully underfunded - Uganda couldn't even send a team to the Olympics this year, and training gyms are few and far between. Muhamud has decided to pursue his dream and is traveling today to Kasese, in mountainous western Uganda, where he plans to spend seven months in intensive training with James, and also to go back to school and complete his primary education at adult evening classes. He calls me most days - I've got used to his happy voice at the other end of the line saying "Hello Mamie!" - and I've noticed a daily improvement in his English - James told me that Muhamud is planning to surprise me one of these days when he's been back to school and call and speak to me in perfect English.
James spent six years working as a police officer and then two years in private security for a US contractor in Iraq, so his English is excellent and I am confortable that he will take good care of Muhamud as one of his six boxing proteges. James has email and has promised to keep me updated with news and pictures of Muhamud.
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