Gideon

Gidion Irankunda

I first met Gidion in 2005, when he and another boy were painting the walls of our house in Kisoro, a town in southwestern Uganda.  He said, in English, “Good morning, Madame,  how do you like our work of painting?”  “You’re doing a very good job,” I replied.  I was impressed that he spoke English so well, and kept an eye on him.  We needed to buy some cement, and Gidion said, “Send me!”  He returned promptly with the cement, a receipt for it, and the correct change,  and I began to rely on him for similar small jobs where honesty was required.

I learned that Gidion’s father had died when he was 14, he had many brothers and sisters, and his mother had never gone to school.

“Do you go to school, Gidion?”, I asked one day.  “Yes, I go to Kabindi Secondary,” he replied.  (This is a public day school.)  Science and math were the subjects he loved. “Well, work hard and good luck,” I said.  I returned to the United States and more or less forgot about the boy.

Uganda newspapers publish the names of students who get top scores in the national exams each year.  One day in 2008 when reading the on-line edition of The New Vision newspaper I saw Gidion’s name as the highest-scoring student in the country.  I was filled with joy, and was sure he had a bright future.

When I returned to Kisoro in 2009 I met Gidion, and said, “Congratulations!  I saw your name in the newspaper.  Where will you go to university?”  He looked everywhere but at me, and mumbled, “I won’t go.”  “Why not?, I shouted, “you were the best student in Uganda!  All right, come with us to the market and then have dinner with us.  Something’s wrong here.”

It all came out during dinner.  Gidion had gone to Mutolere High School, a public school with no laboratories or other facilities, and as a result he had not passed his science exams.  Gidion began to cry and got up to leave the table.  “Sit down and stop crying,” I told him.  “I’m going to help you.  Someone as bright as you has to go to school.  Even though you’re late, is there a private school here that might admit you?”  He replied yes, Kigezi High School might.  I sent him there the next day, and he came back with an admission letter based on his national exam scores.  The school fees were $320, and I gave Gidion the money.  I continued to pay his fees for another 1 ½ years.

Never have I made a better investment.  One day in 2011 my sister called to tell me that Gidion had graduated with A+ grades in math, physics, biology and chemistry, and in the fall of 2011 he entered Mbarara University of Science and Technology on a full government scholarship.