The Children of Butongole

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Text and Photography: Ashley Bryant

I spent the months of June and July in a small village in eastern Uganda. One of the poorest villages in one of the poorest districts of Uganda, Butongole holds a population of around 1,500 people, the majority of whom are children. Many of these children are malnourished, and the risk of dying before the age of five from malaria or diarrhea is remarkably high. The children have one, maybe two meals a day. They own a few sets of clothes, but usually wear the same outfit for at least a week. School children, ages six and up, walk a few miles barefoot on a dangerous highway to get to school. The older kids carry their infant brothers and sisters on their backs.

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Call me naïve, but I was pretty shocked at how much these kids had to go through on a daily basis, and the immense amounts of risk and responsibility they carried. What surprised me more, however, was to see how happy they were. Despite having virtually nothing, these kids were happier, kinder, and more mature than most kids I have encountered outside the African continent. Most people would say that these kids were so lively because they did not know what they were missing out on, that they had never experienced the ocean of consumerism that overwhelms the West, and I agree that this is partially true. However, I also believe that there is an acute sense of companionship in the village of Butongole, one that encourages all children to play together, inclusivity, care and companionship. Responsibility is attained at an early age, as there are usually many children in the family. Seeing herds of children running past our house, screaming and laughing, their eyes shining, made my coworkers and I mention how much fun it would be to live in Butongole as a kid. It’s like a year-round summer camp. Is the Western generation missing out on pure childish fun? Are the concepts of what it means to be a child undergoing the wrong changes?

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The heartbreaking realization that hit us fast and hard is that this childhood utopia does not last long beyond the age of eleven. When kids reach an age when they realize they are poor, that other children do not live like them and their hand to mouth struggle for food, their smiles fade and the temptations of alcohol, drugs, and unsafe sex become overbearing. This is a trend that I initially saw as hopeless. However, after working closely with several of the local primary schools, I quickly saw that the only solution to this problem is through educationial reform. The teachers have a genuine and deep concern about the children’s schooling, and they are certainly not to blame for the lack of funding that inhibits the quality of education.

The kids of Butongole taught me much about a child’s ability to find joy in the smallest things. They also taught me that spirits are broken quickly when opportunities diminish. Millions of children across the world are in the same situation as the kids in Butongole, and I believe I am justified in saying that all these children deserve the opportunitiy to prosper and be healthy. How can we help these children? It is a question that has consumed my mind since I have returned to the United States. I believe the solution lies in two categories:

1) access to health, meaning access to medication, a balanced diet, and preventative measures, such as mosquito nets and water treatment chemicals, and

2) access to education, meaning having funds for school fees and materials, as well as having schools in relative proximity to children’s homes.

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The barriers to these solutions are what many aid organizations have been battling for decades, and will continue to battle in the future. They are not easy solutions, but eventually I believe they will be obtainable. Private, priveleged citizens, with the luxury of having instant access to information, can approach this problem from a different angle. We need to use our own experience of education to promote awareness. Awareness is key, for awareness sparks discussion, and discussion promotes action. We must not forget what we see, hear, experience, and learn about. We need to use our opportunities to increase those of others, and the greatest opportunity we have is the opportunity of education. I believe it is also important that our schools teach us of the value of being compassionate and empathic. When I think back on the children in Butongole, I do fear for their futures, yet I hope that by sharing their story, people will appreciate the value of their own education. With luck, our generation will be able to use what we have learned and experienced to approach and untangle these major yet solvable problems.


Ashley Bryant is American and studies Social Anthropology at the University of St Andrews in Scotland.