Seeta High School have four campuses, Malik has been studying at the main campus, Seeta, Mukono District, about 20km outside Kampala, Uganda.
On Sunday 27th October I attended a service of blessing for Malik and the other senior 6 students that will be taking their UNEB ‘A’ level examinations during the two-weeks commencing, Monday 11th November 2013. The RC Bishop of Mukon District gave an encouraging message to the students, parents and staff.
It does not seem like almost 2-years since I brought Malik to Uganda to find him a school place to study for ‘A’ level examinations. I remember the days so well; Malik was in the top ten students at ‘O’ level in the whole of South Sudan’s 900+ students, but his results were still not up to the level expected to gain entry into a good Uganda senior school. Amazingly that morning when we visited Headmaster Katumba Davis in his office at Seeta High School. Mr Katumba regognised how well Malik had performed in the very poor conditions of South Sudan schooling; but all his places had been allocated,it seemed our only hope was that one of the students allocated a place would not pay the fees. Just a few days later headmaster had created an extra place for Malik and the rest is history.
I met with headmaster twice on this Sunday 27th October 2013 and he has a clear expectation that Malik is going to perform well in his ‘A’ level examination and he said “Malik will study medicine” The top schools in Uganda have a strange way of getting results out of their students. They mark all the internal and mock examinations very harshly and makes it appear that they are not doing well; they will have to work harder. Longer hours of study don’t seem a possibility, they already rise at around 4am and study untily 11pm!
So, here we are, almost on the eve of the examinations praying hard for Malik and his fellow students. The teachers have done a good job and the deputy head gave an upbeat speech that the students are prepared and will perform well. Malik’s best friend spoke humourously for the students; the parent representative was very encouraging; all far different from the fear instilled meeting of S6 first term visitation day when one of the mother’s told the students that ‘if they didn’t perform well - we won’t love you anymore’ Oh how awful I told the headmaster at our second term meeting, that fear traumatises, what is needed is the true message that the perfect love of God casts out all fear. And even if that parent cannot love her boy, we have a Father in heaven who love us 100%, 100% of the time, totally unconditional. later during a brief school holiday I made sure that Malik still knew the love of his heavenly Dad and my weak expression of that love also toward him.
So, as they say here “not to waste time” here are the photographs taken at Seeta High School’ service of blessing on Sunday 27th October 2013 - Enjoy! Please continue to pray for Malik that his applications to UK universities to study medicine or biological medicine will receive a favourable response. We continue to rely upon God our provider for the finance that will be needed for the next stage of his education preparing him for his life mission to return to his Nuba Mountain people to provide much needed doctor’s health care.
