The Story of Us

Rebecca Abonyo

Rebbecca Wana Abonyo

Hi. I’m Beqy and I cannot wait to grow up!

Paying it forward is grown up stuff. It takes a great deal of maturity to give to someone else, especially at a cost to you, and expect nothing in return. I literally fell in love with The Pay It Forward Foundation the first time we met, during one of the random conversations Dincy and I were having about life. I had been ranting and raving about how my life had become routine and I was bored and I was going to run mad just so I could be moved to Luzira near the lake where the breeze is fresh, blah, blah, blah. So, Dincy told me about this great idea that Rhino had which was based on a movie and basically asked if I wanted to be part of it. I remember excitement; she was excited, I was excited. I remember looking for the sceptic in me who is usually easy to spot, and not being able to find him. I remember gratitude. I remember anxiety. I remember feeling so many things that I hadn’t felt in a while.

I saw and still see this Foundation as an opportunity for me to become part of a solution to the decadence in this country, and not just another bystander. Paying It Forward will give me a chance to do things that are important and actually matter, that I would never have been able to do on my own.

I remember an incident in Kampala Kindergarten; I must have been about 5 years old. I was sick and had just thrown up all over myself (typical 5-year-old style) and this girl who was two classes ahead of me came up to me and took me to wash up and then escorted me to the sanatorium for a check up. That is one of the few experiences I remember from nursery school. This is what makes Paying It Forward so cool. People may forget so many things, but any form of selflessness, however small, lives on. It is the ripple effect of love and compassion, one to another.

As I write this, the Pay It Forward Foundation is officially one day old. I have met an amazing group of friends who are all superstars in their own right. The passion with which we are able to put aside any differences and work together as a team has restored my belief in the goodness of people. More so, I have learnt so many things about myself in such a short period of time. The challenges we are faced with are overwhelming and sometimes there is a feeling of helplessness especially considering the magnitude of the task. However, it is up to us to make a difference in our small circles of influence, and cause ripples of love everywhere we go. I will Pay It Forward. I will grow up!

Peace

Diana Ssali

Diana Ssali

I don’t understand the world. I’ve read countless books – fiction and nonfiction, scripture and folklore, gleaning what knowledge I can from those varied sources, hoping for a glimpse into the minds and existences of people other than myself. I have sought to comprehend lives I have not lived and experiences that are not my own. And after all that, I have come to the conclusion that I do not understand life or the world, and I don’t think I ever will.

So what I do is, I live each day as I can, making up the rules as I go along and living off hope, belief and love. For me they are the only things that stand sure.

We spend so much time in our lives pursuing dreams and forging paths for ourselves, and we tell ourselves that one day, when we’ve ‘made it’ – then we’ll start to get involved with the rest of the world and ‘give back’. Well, I have to ask, why does it have to be that way? Why must it be ourselves first and then the rest later? Why can’t we move forward together? The usual retort to this is, ‘I can’t really make a difference. What I have is not enough. I can’t do it alone’. I’ve been through all these questions and answered all those answers. And the truth is that I can’t do it alone. No one can. But together, together, we can.

So when Rhino told me about his idea for the PIFF, all those pieces floating in my head settled on it, and they made one heck of pretty picture. The PIFF. Together, we could do it. Together – in small, incremental amounts we could truly do something to give back hope and share some of the most basic things with those for whom those things are not basic.

I wasn’t sure if anyone would share our belief that this thing could work – but I ran the idea past a few people, and I was giddy with the reactions I got. Not scepticism, or half-hearted interest – I got enthusiasm. People were interested. People wanted to do this. So we did, and we are, and in little steps and a few giant leaps, I can hardly envision the magnitude of what we can accomplish together. And we don’t have to wait to make our millions to do it.

Judith Kansiime

Judith Kansiime
Situation: Conference call between Dincy, Beqs and yours truly on one of those nights when we decide not to grace the Kampala night with our presence and utl is still interested in our social development (read mango jazz), those two start ranting (for the lack of a more appropriate word) of how they want to make the world a better place. Oba MJ has just left so I figure they are paying tribute by occasionally throwing in a few of his lines into the kb..plus Dincy sounds high on something (half asleep according to her)…..so in true honest friendship I laugh (those two will use scoffed at this point, but this is my version and am sticking to it)-coz I know those two and Michael was awesome yes but they weren’t that crazy about him so the idea was simply hilarious…..only am laughing alone and Beqs “isn’t liking my tone”-don’t ask me what a laughing tone is?!!!!!! Then Dincy joins her cause and am thinking alright-maybe I misheard and I ask them to repeat which they do and just like that am laughing all over again…they are serious!
Those two love a party, it was amusing for them to be thinking charity-I love these gals and they have mighty hearts but let’s say charity isn’t something they had mentioned like ever ever…..at this point, the topic changed to ………..who cares….anyhow, about two days later Beqy and I have to wait for Dincy (not unusual) at church (alert!!). At this point my alarm signals are raging coz in the last something months or so, if Dincy is meeting us at church, it’s not a happy go lucky affair. She arrives, I make up my mind to cut a discussion and before I know it the ranting from before clearly isn’t remaining in the past!! But this time there’s documentation to it and sparkles in Beqs’ eyes and happy-continuous-am -sooooo happy clapping and am thinking okaaaaayyyyy this is serious. Dincy is going thru pages of stuff, having to catch her breath in between, punctuated with this-is-so-exciting-am-so-excited-smile at which point am literally hanging onto their every word, and there’s a ki drumroll growing thingy in me yelling I want in I want in I WANT INNNNNNN……….. I have this thing I want to do that’s orphanage like and for the most part I don’t pass up opportunities to get in on such causes….so I folded my face and asked why I wasn’t on this up till then……apparently I had laughed my way out when the idea was being introduced to me!!!!!!Gals……..

Darlyne Komukama

@darlkomu (Darlyne Komukama)

So why I did decide to be involved in the PIF foundation? You actually. I read your blog post and was glad that someone out there was not just stopping at words. That someone was taking action. People always say how they want to help, how they want the world to be a better place but because of a lack of time, money or passion, that’s all that happens. Sadly, I am one of those people. Then I read your blog post. It was like a breath of fresh air, finally someone who not only talked about changing the world but who did something to effect change. How could I not get involved?

Raymond Kukundakwe

@rhinorck (Raymond Kukundakwe)

The sum of all knowledge is love