January 14, 2020.

 From my last trip to Uganda

I have known Charles for several years. He lives in Gulu, Uganda and he works hard repairing cell phones and small electronics in the Gulu Mall.  I also know he received a micro loan from my non-profit, ASA Social Fund for Hidden Peoples, to help him grow his business.  I know he is married to Ketty and they have one child.  That is all I knew when I met him again in Gulu January 14, 2020. 

I had arranged to meet with Charles at 6:00 on the basketball court.  When I got there, I was surprised to see that the basketball court was an actual cement court with faded lines and hoops hanging properly.  The netting was torn, but it was good enough.  I was surprised because here I was in Gulu, a town in northern Uganda.  The people are poor.  The town is poor.  Many people are without jobs because they are recovering from a horrible thirty-year civil war.  And here in the middle of Gulu was a very nice basketball court.

I saw Charles sitting in his wheelchair on the edge of the court putting on his red and blue striped basketball jersey.  He was talking with his teammates who were all sitting in wheelchairs too.  He told me earlier in the day that he belonged to a basketball team that played one day a week and he wanted me to see him play.  I wanted to make sure that I would not miss this. 

 I said hi to Charles and watched how he adjusted his wheelchair for playing. His wheels splay outward.  All of the other wheelchairs did too.  He was happy that I was there.  I saw pride in his smile knowing he could show me how he plays even though he does not have any legs.  His legs were blown off when he stepped on a landmine many years ago during the Joseph Kony Lord's Resistance Army civil war.

A whistle blows and that is when I noticed that there were coaches and referees around. They started to 

practice and warm up.  They passed the ball back and forth.  They had an opposing team.  Both teams were young, some in their teens others in their twenties and thirties.  And yes there were young women too!  Then they lined up, the two teams gave Hi Fives, a whistle blew and the game started.

Wheelchairs whizzed back and forth all over the court and the ball was passed at lightening speed.  I tried keeping score but lost count because the basketball was dunked many times into the net.  One team member's wheelchair fell backwards and I worried that he hit his head when he landed on his back, but someone lifted him up and the game continued.  

 

I could tell they had strong upper body strength making up for their weakened or missing legs.  It was a short game.  It lasted about an hour.  The sun was setting and darkness was coming soon.  I congratulated the team.  I think Charles' team won.  They proudly told me they played in tournaments and they were the champions

I have thought of them often during our COVD quarantine.  I hope that all are ok.  Maybe this next year, 2022, I can finally return to Gulu and watch them play ball again.