Hello my name is Bonduku and I live in Uganda. I live in a small run-down village that is stricken with many sicknesses and has little to offer to civilization. I have two brothers and their names are Daka and Sokuanda. My mom and dad work in the diamond mines and they make barely enough money to buy a loaf of “stale” bread. While my parents are working, I go to school while my little brothers stay at home and have to fend for themselves. I walk twelve miles back and forth each day and trek up long dirt roads and I even have to cross a small river, hoping that I don’t get attacked by wild animals. When I return home I hope and pray that I don’t walk in and find my little brothers hunched over dead because I wasn’t there to help them. We live in a small, shanty house that is one room. Our house is made out of mud, sticks and some metal. It is considered a luxury to have metal in your home because it is very hard to come across. We get broken into very often because people want our metal.
I have one “rich” friend. To be considered rich in my village, you have to have a pair of tennis shoes. I can only dream of having those shoes, but I know that it will never happen. We only have enough money to get one pair of sandals at the age of seven, and then another pair at the age of fourteen. My feet have blisters on them because my sandals are too small and I have to walk barefoot everywhere I go. I was even tempted to steel a pair of sandals my size because the pain is so great that I cry whenever I stand up to walk. The punishment for being a thief in my village, no matter how old, is to be exiled away from your family. In some cases, there are people who don’t care if they are exiled because they have nothing anyways and it doesn’t change who they are. They still struggle no matter what.
My little brothers look skinnier and skinnier every day. The food we have been getting has been coming in smaller portions because Mamma and Papa have been making less money due to the cave-in in the mine they were working. I have lost some weight because I give most of my food to my brothers because they are weak and can barely stand up. They are close to going in the dreaded box that takes you away forever. No one likes that box because it claims so many lives and loved ones. More people go to the box because they are malnourished, then due to aids. I went two weeks without a single meal. I was on the verge of going to the box.
My youngest brother, Daka, just died and went to the box. He was too skinny. We buried him in the box and went our separate ways. W loved him and will miss him, but our survival is in the line so now we have more food to eat because he is gone. My mother got a disease that will eventually put her in the box. She makes more money than my father because his leg got crushed in the cave-in in the mine shaft so he hasn’t been able to work to his best ability. If Mamma were to die, I don’t know what we would do. We would eventually starve and become stricken with the box disease if Mamma were to die.
My mother passed away and went into the box. We are on the verge of dying. Papa is sick because his leg has the disease gangrene. It is sad to say but my father will probably die because we do not have the money to take him to the doctor. A few days after Mammas passing, we get news that the doctors are coming to are village to inspect the hospital, whatever is left of it because of a fire. If only I could get my dad help. After a few days of waiting and looking after my dad, I was able to get him to the doctor but they couldn’t help him. They said his infection has spread too far, and that it was best to let time do its thing and wait until he goes into the box.
Two months later, my father died. It is just me and my other brother now. I had to drop out of school and work in the mine. After seeing the doctors examine my father, it inspired me to be just like them one day.
Twenty years later…
Hello, my name is Bonduku. I am an inspiring young doctor, I finally have multiple pairs of tennis shoes, and I live in Uganda. I have a wonderful family and an outstanding job. I get to save lives rather than see them die all around me. I get patients all of the time who are malnourished and it makes me hurt for them because I was once in their shoes. I strive to give them everything I can, but occasionally I get those who were too late.

I live in a big three story house in the middle of the city. It is a huge step up from the house I was living in. I appreciate my old house because it made me never want to live in that type of environment ever again. My younger brother, still happy and healthy, struck it rich in the diamond mines, but unfortunately shared the same fate my father had. He luckily lost his leg instead of dying. I miss all of my family who were taken away from me by the box. I will one day see them again when I to die and I am thankful for that.

I look back to where I was poor, hungry, and family less. I teach my children to care for others and strive to be like me and not end up like I was when I was younger. I strive to influence not only my own children, but all of the children around me because I want my story to be heard loud and clear that no matter where you live or how wealthy you were, you can always succeed if you put your faith in yourselves to do whatever in the world you want to do.

I travel all over the world teaching people, not only my skills in medicine, but my life story. My travels are things that I only dreamed of when I was younger and I am so thankful that I have to opportunity to do what I love to do, not only saving lives under the knife, but also through my words of wisdom. It gives me a sense of accomplishment when I know that I influence so many lives.

Forty years later…
My name Bonduku and I am dying. I am terminally ill will a brain tumor. My own medicinal skills cannot save me from my fate. I am grateful that I have lived this wonderful life of mine and that I was able to not end up like my parents who left this world so many years ago. From where I was to where I ended up, I am truly grateful. My thanks go out to everybody in my life who helped me prosper and get to where I am. I hope my legacy will stay in my community for many generations to come, and I hope to inspire the young people who are to succeed and walk in my footsteps. As I take my last breaths, my heart goes out to those around me, and those who live like I used to. Goodbye Uganda, my home where my heart will always be.
: Personal Thoughts:

We live so great here in American, but we don’t appreciate what we have and we take for granted that others like the characters in this story, live lives of heartache and suffering every day. They push through every day, working 100 xs harder than we do, yet we give them no credit. We need to care for these people like they were are family. It may seem hard for us to do, but we could do it with a little motivation AND a whole lot of caring.