30/11/2019
[1:54 AM, 11/30/2019] Scovia: rs and teachers
[1:55 AM, 11/30/2019] Scovia: Long post alert
MY LIFE LESSON BY . HON.ODONGA OTTO MP UGANDA Thanks for all birthday wishes.I was told by my late father James otto that i was born on 11th November 1977 a date i doubt firstly because my mum was killed by karimojong cattle rustlers in 1987 she could have known the dates better,secondly my elder brother David also told me that my father told him the same date as his birthday.it diesnt matter year move in a linear manner it doesnt move round for a birthday to repeat it self,i just human codification for ease of reference in passports, documents etc but please read my story # # warning: # # # #
My chilhood was the most difficult that i think anyone reading this post ever went through a similar experience those who knew me from under fiteen years can testify.
My father separated with my mother at the time i was born that is why my mother called me :"odonga" meaning let him remain with me.
Secondly my father made a decision i term the worst to take me with him to my step mother at the time of divorce.
LESSON 1 mothers die with your child dont ever allow your child to grow up with step mother the world would rather end.
My Dad got arrested by the UPC goverment in 1980/1 and spent 5 years in luzira prison.I was left with a step mother who is still alive.My late mother did not know my whereabouts and even if she did she probably had no authority over my custody.
During thise 5 years of dad being in prison i visited hell on earth,My eldest brother Tadeo went to boarding school negri primary my second bother david was "deported" to the village and he is a P.7 dropout
LESSON 2 :see what education has now has created two seperate biengs feom the same womb give education your best it replaces an empty head
I remained alone to a young step mother about 27 years she was a teacher .I would be locked in a room from morning to evening as there was no one to look after me,with one meal for the day kept in the room.
Barely 5 years occasionally i would climb through the vents to see my friends playing in the compound the feeling still sends a chill down my spine.
Needless to say the room (prison) was not self contained she would return to get the room in mess and a stick would do the cleaning.
I years later joined P.1 in negri primary,i was about 7 years that was the first and last memorable time in my life i saw my late mother so took advantage of the visitation to visit her son in years.She was tall in brown outfit it was called "maxi" then. she lifted me high and i gave her a long list of things to bring on the next visition ,little did i know it was the last time i was seeing her .
LESSON 3 :readers in life when hugging a dear one please bear in mind it may be the last time give it your best .
uncle paul years later came and told my mother was dead i was not bothered because i had not bonded with her i continued playing, she died of bullet wounds.
My formative years from P.4 to S.4 was the worst superintended by my step mother, extreme use of mannual labour as a means of tourture in the name of hard work ;each one head a drum of water to fill before going to school,our mornings would begin at 5am by 7 am each one 200liters drum is full and the body is too tired for school.
Digging weekends 7am to 7pm at stepmothers home was routine we would do close to what a tractor could do in day.Passers by in the morning would wonder in the evening how 3 peoples(brothers could do this).
Rationing food,stravation ,washing plates ,pounding,washing house walls,washing her clothes and those of all her sisters who had migrated permanently to outhome was on the daily menu.As they sat a watched movies.
LESSON 4, Dont let visitors at your home turn your own children into slaves.
My luck came when i got a vocation to join a seminary that had no option of day schooling,my brothers where not allowed in boardong school .And that finally made a difference in our eventual academic performance.
I remember my stepmother calling my elder brother at 8am to slash the compound yet that was the day he was sitting for national UCE examinations,he had already fetched his morning rountine 200litre drum of water,i had to join him to slash the compound non stop for upto 15mins to exam time then he had to run 8kms to school to catch up with exam time.
LESSON 5 ,don't use work as a punishement or a torture tool.
I completed O,level,A lelvel joined Univesity and come out with a degree in social sciences .my graduation was not attended by any of my parents,i walked to freedom square got my degree and a kind old man Mr. Odida Francis took for lunch at tick hotel kawempe.And the whole world was ahead of me. I later took my degree home to my father and stepmother.My stepmother who also had 5 children was never happy for me having attained a degree.My degree created more unease home as i waited for a job.I was later told by my stepmother that i was to help in home chores of collect residues of food from a girls secondary school Sacred heart to feed the pigs ,secondly that I was to cut grass to feed the friesian cows.
Beacuse i did not want to disapoint my Dad who had already leactured me on Pope John paul II missive towards work ,i opted to secretly get a teaching job at atiak technical that was displaced in gulu town ,to teach English and use the proceeds to hire young boys to do the dirty job of delivering the pig food.Word reached home of my evasive and nagative attitude to work and there was a bigger conference than the 1884 berlin conference or the 1914 Versailles peace traeaty that i had just studied at university called at home .It was resolved i stop teaching and concentrate on feeding the animals
I continied teaching secretly.
LESSON 6 men when you are in a second marriage or polygamous marriage beware and warn yourself that love for the children may follow the love for their mother.
The womnn you love.most you will end up loving her children more and the reverse it true..BEWARE.
I later started doing the job of collecting pig food,at wee hours cutting grass for cows in distant locations.This did not help.In life some people can never change and can't be amused another meeting was called over this new developements of me cutting graas from far and rules changed and they started designating places that i should cut grass.
That the issue to deal.with around me was pride of having a degree that was to be delt with and not cutting grass or collecting pig food
The next morning my step mother told me there was good grass at the current acholi inn and was i was told to go and cut there mind you this is a ground where few graduates sat and analysed global trends,the pressure was building on me.Secondly that the food at lunch time at girls schools was more so she had talked to a staff that i should be there at 12noon and pick food as girls dropped since there was competition for the same food by others.
Her children where much younger and in primary and secondary school and would have been the best for such jobs in my opinion.my options where getting limited.
I remembered Dr.Simba in a political science class wondering ; what would the importance of education be to those at home if graduates are not seen as role models.
I gathered courage and told my step mother two things one,please let your children do it,secondly even if the pigs food would make the pigs grow like a ballon being blown I AM NOT GOING
LESSON 7 when life seem empty when you feel there is no point going push a little if nothing changes you have to make a decision.
My stepmother broke down in tears shouting that i had abused i hurried to the house before my Dad could drop home for lunch break that would be bad i knew if he found me home.
I packed my things in a kavera polythine bag off through the backyard going to "i dont know where".
I reach town boarded a vehicle to my mothes clan home,where i was received and felt soo loved for the first tiime in years
LESSON 8:there are times in life you have to learn to make fast decisions a bad decsion is better than no decision at all.
I later went to the village to visit my cousins and maternal relatives the first time in 22 years of my life what i feeling if joy and welcome .I broke down in tears to know there where people who loved and cared for me,i met my late mothers sister and uncles i had to become a baby and cry abit.I saw my younger sister struggling preparing sorghurm posho for lucnh with smoke belowing in the entire grass tatch house i could hardly breath.I eat lunch and asked for a hoe to go digging i knew i had in built capacity to work.She looked at me in the eyes and said "its dry season"
LESSON 9 :In life no mater the spite ,riducle,hatred,abuses,agrresion towards you,jealousy etc just know you are loved by someone,there are people who love you ,who dont sleep thinking of you so please love yourself don't give up .
I later saw a vacuum being the only graduate in the viallage i contested for parliamentary elections 6 months after university and deafeated a minister and become elected member of parliament aruu county pader district at 23 years making the record then of being the youngest Member of parliament in uganda
Todate i have been an MP for 18 years thank God,i have 6 children(4 girls girls 2 boys i am , my first marriage failed ) i live a comfortable house of my own ,drive and a few businesses.I choose to speak for the oppressed would prefer that i be the last on the list of oppression.I am very sensitive to my children issues when my two older daughters come to stay with me i keep a watchfull eye.
MEN don't be in bars come home late and think your wife is good to be with her step children hey...she is probably worse than mine.
LESSON 10: Keep your faith ,when there is no room for rationality or reasoning follow your instincts whatever route you take your God will always be with you.
whichever route you take you will see light at the end of the turnel endure,.. endure ...endure.your sufferings should not be in vain.
42 years down the road,my two elelder brothers are grappling with life arising from a detented childhood,my father died 4 years ago,my stepmother has since become a "catechist"after my fathers death,a catechist with a locked borehole home not accessible to neighbours,of my 5 step brothers who had preferential treatment in early chilhood 2 are drivers,one a lawyer,one a chef and one remains unemployed.I reburied my mother 10 years ago.
LESSON 11: The stone the builders have rejected has beome the corner house stone,don't mistreat peoples children it will bring misfortunes to yours.
PLEASE SHARE THIS POST I MAY BE A CELEBRITY IN MANY EYES IN UGANDA BUT YOU DONT KNOW WHAT I WENT THROUGH,.... .PEOPLE DONT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH.... PEOPLE DONT KNOW WHAT YOUR CHILDREN ARE GOING THROUGH.....PEOPLE DONT KNOW WHAT OTHER CHILDREN ARE GOING THROUGH.
THANKS FOR THE BIRTHDAY WISHES
