Pen Pals Wanted

Primary schools consist of classes P1 - P7. Here are my super cool P7 pupils, ruling the roost at Bushenyi Demo.

Christopher Mutarebwa, the Primary 7 Library Prefect, ducked into the library the other day to return a textbook he had checked out (yes, Ugandan textbooks are among our most popular books in the library – these kids!) and take out another. As I was working to sort the newest shipment we had received, he approached me and, after the usual greetings, eagerly asked me, “Teacher Heidi…can you get for me a pen pal from America?”

Christopher, age 14

Christopher is a great pupil, hard worker, and incredibly ambitious. He goes to school during the day and tends to his family’s cattle in the mornings, evenings, and weekends. As he walks through the grassy, rolling hills and overlooks his grazing long-horned cows, he dreams of attending university in England. It’s a dream that I know is within his grasp. He has constantly impressed me and some of my favorite cross-cultural conversations in Uganda have been with this 14 year-old boy.

So, of course, I said he could have a pen pal. His face lit up and as he left for class, I returned to labeling the new books (OK, reading them, reminiscing about my childhood, and then labeling them), pondering who I knew in the U.S. that would make a good match for him.

The bell, an old tire rim that a lucky pupil is permitted to beat with a rock at the beginning and end of every break, sounded for lunch. As I put my work down, I turned around to close the library’s shutters and was treated to the sight of a swarm of P7 pupils running down the hill towards me. They crowded around the window, yelling and laughing in English and Runyankore, and after a minute I finally made out the gist of what they were trying to communicate – they all wanted pen pals from America too! I grinned and promised that if they organized themselves and gave me a list of the names and ages of everyone who wanted a pen pal, I would try my best to get all of them one.

Some of the P7 pupils who want pen pals, post-swarm.

Few things are more impressive to me here than the ability of pupils, aged 4 to 14, to handle themselves and their classmates in an orderly, mature, efficient fashion. Three minutes later I was given a beautifully handwritten list of the P7 pupils who were dying to make a friend in the States.

Staring at the list of hopefuls, I thought back to when I was a child. I was lucky enough to have pen pals from all over the world. I got air mail letters from Australia, the Philippines, the U.K., and beyond. Nothing was more exciting than seeing those red and blue envelopes arrive and reading stories, both strange and familiar at the same time, from kids my age across the globe. I even kept in touch with one pen pal, Leticia, for years and still remember her fondly.

I want, so much now, to give that experience to these pupils, these kids who work from dawn until dusk but with any free time that they have are always in the library studying, giggling over books with friends, or patiently reading to the little ones. I want to help them create life-long friendships with other kids who will share their passion and excitement.

If you know someone around the ages of 10 to 14 who is interested in a long-term correspondence with a Ugandan around their own age, please let me know either by commenting on this blog or emailing me at heidigramlich@gmail.com. While none of these pupils have their own mailbox, the school does have a P.O. Box the next town over and I can facilitate the first exchange of letters.

I really do believe that it would not only be a wonderful chance for my Ugandan pupils but also for American students as well. It’s an incredible cross-cultural opportunity to learn, grow, and expand your horizons – these kids have a lot to offer. And they’re pretty funny too. 

They wanted "snaps" (pictures) taken to show their future pen pals. Some of the ages are rough approximations as most rural Ugandans don't have birth certificates and, in general, don't celebrate birthdays. 

Arnold, age 14

Daphine, age 12

 Dianah, age 13

Edith, age 12

Loyce, age 13

 Rhina, age 13

Ruth, age 12

 Sandrah, age 13

Shanitah, age 12

Shinabellah, age 12

What a wonderful thing is the mail, capable of conveying across continents a warm human hand-clasp.  

~Author Unknown