Humanist

It is back to school day today. The first day of the first term of the new school year. Most learners are no doubt excitedly going to new classes. Some, like Apuru Simon Peter, are going to school for the first time, to baby class (first class of nursery school).

Apuru is named after his late grandfather, Ejakait Apuru Peter, brother to this late grandfather, Ejakait Engineer George William Owaraga, who was Chief of Ikaruwok Isekelio Sub-Clan of Ikaruwok Clan of Iteso of Pallisa and ‘King George of Entebbe’, the late father of Apuru’s father, Ejakait Fred Tukei.

Ejakait Apuru, whom Apuru is named after, was named after his grandfather, late Ejakait Apuru, uncle to his late father, late Ejakait Yosia Engatunyun, the Lion Chief of Ikaruwok Isekelio Sub-Clan, who was also father of late Ejakait Eng. Owaraga.

Over, the weekend, what excited Apuru most was going school shopping and that he gets a school bag.

Family of Ejakait Tukei on school shopping day.

Word on the ground, this morning, however, is that Apuru is no longer as excited waking up early to go to school. He over slept and will be late for his first day at school. The jury is still out on whether he will truly like school and excel in it.

As for his sisters, Amisiri Mary Jane and Adong Olivia, they were up early, got ready, had breakfast and walked to school on time. They are both returning learners of New Ebenezer Nursery and Primary School, a private school that is a short walking distance from their home in Nakiwogo in Division B in Entebbe Municipality. Both are top performing students:

Amisiri excelled in her nursery schooling and ‘graduated’ in sixth position with impressive grades. She got 100 percent score in three of six subjects and above 94 percent score in the other three. She was promoted from Top Class, the last class of nursery school, to the first class of primary school, Primary One, which she starts today.

She is named after her late grandmother, Ajakait Amisiri, sister to her late grandfather, Ejakait Eng. Owaraga. Her namesake, late Ajakait Amisiri, was named after her great grandmother, the grandmother of her late father, Ejakait Chief Egantunyun, aka Simba (the lion).

And so, by cultural rank Amisri claims she is the jaja wa baana (grandmother) of their home; and presumably she must lead by example and so she excels at school.

As for Adong Olivia, she too is excelling in her Primary schooling. Passing her Primary Six in Division I, with 10 aggregates from two distinctions in two of four subjects and credits from the other two.

She was promoted and has today started studies for her final year and class in primary school, Primary Seven. Adong also loves playing netball and competes for her school. Recruiters for the national netball team, She Cranes, please reach out, your next generation team member is here.

Adong is named after her late maternal great grandmother, Ajakait Adong Esther Norah, wife of late Ejakait Daga Melchizedek, the Lay Reader of Church of Uganda in Oleicho and a School Teacher. Melchizedek, is a Biblical Canaanite name, which means “my king is righteousness”; and righteous Ejakait Daga and his wife Ajakait Adong were.

Ajakait Adong and Ejakait Daga are the parents of Adong’s maternal grandmother, Mrs. Betty Anne Apio Owaraga, widow of late Ejakait Eng. Owaraga and Chief of Iwokodan Clan of Iteso of Oleicho Village, Mukongoro Sub-County of Kumi District. She is the mother to Adong’s father, Ejakait Tukei.

Adong and Amisiri last year excelled in their studies under significant family trauma and stress. At the beginning of the year, 8^th January 2024, their father, Ejakait Tukei, experienced a near fatal incident. He lost consciousness, collapsed, fell and hit his head on a bolder, thus sustaining near fatal head injuries.

Contextualized within the inadequate health care services in Entebbe for head injuries, it is a miracle Ejakait Tukei is still alive. This miracle was made possible, through generous financial support from family and friends.

Support, without which, it would have been impossible to meet the medical expenses for the right medical care that medical teams at St. Francis Hospital Nsambya provided and ensured Ejakait Tukei got a second chance to live.

Following surgery, intensive care and hospitalisation for nearly a month, Ejakait Tukei was discharged from hospital and was wheelchair bound for a significant part of 2024.

Recovery was not easy. He had to regularly be taken for physiotherapy. And there were times he relapsed, getting seizures, which necessitated him to be hospitalized. Through it all, his brother, Ejakait James Ezron Okoit, was the first responder and stood with him – financially and physically supporting him.

Whereas, his health is fairly good now, it is unlikely, that Ejakait Tukei will ever be able to hold down a job and earn a living. And so, for the greater part, we, his sisters, Ajakait Pamela Asire-Isukali and Ajakait Esther Norah Alinga, have stepped up to ensure that the schooling of our nieces and nephews continues.

What delights the more, is that our ‘Ubuntu contributions’, ‘black tax’ if you will, are not taken for granted. As can be deduced from the performance at school of Adong and Amisiri.

Our sister in-love, Sarah and her older two children, especially Anita, in addition, are doing the best as they can, earning a living and contributing towards covering other household expenditure.

Certainly, our situation is not unique. I know many in Uganda who are generously paying ‘black tax’ and are actively participating in being among the village that is raising a child.

And so, during this first week of Black History Month, it is right and fitting that I spotlight and celebrate the positive impact of ‘black tax’. I invite you all to do the same, in whatever way.

Let us celebrate our unique ‘African Ubuntu Giving’. Which quantified is likely even the more in amounts and in impact than the one, exogenous of origin, which receives recognition and dominates popular discourses.

Thank you to the millions paying ‘black tax’, may your contributions and generosity yield positive life-changing impact always. Happy Black History Month.