Page 15 - HuongTuKySu-PhiChau2021-Final_Neat

Loving Kindness Chronicles - Africa

After breakfast, our team headed to the capital city, Kampala, to buy scholastic supplies as gifts of our
“Dreams Take Flight” initiative for 500 students. The streets of Kampala were lively with people and street ven-
dors with their baskets of fruits such as pineapples, mangoes and watermelons, jackfruits, bananas…piquing the
interest of people passing by. After our purchase, we returned to the Uganda Buddhist Centre in the afternoon
for the gift distribution. As soon as our bus arrived at the temple gate, the image of so many little children wait-
ing in the temple yard brought back all of my childhood memories. It reminded me of my own carefree school
days when students of all ages would hang out in the schoolyard under the shades of the large catappa and the
fiery red phoenix’s tail trees. Perhaps in life, we all have moments of our school age that remain unforgettable,
do we not? How very beautiful and such sweet innocence. I remembered my school with moss-covered walls
and the towering bamboo grove, the teacher’s podium, the rows of seats, even the little sweet dessert shop on the
side of the road and the sound of cicadas in the hot summer afternoon. All those memories suddenly rushed back
when I saw the crooked wooden school and the footpath covered with grass. Children of all ages were gathering
in little groups chatting and laughing with each other freely…

Dear all,
As a child we all had a dream. It could be as innocent as building a magical castle with all of our favorite
fairy tale characters…, or a grand aspiration of becoming a future doctor, engineer, teacher… These seemingly
innocent dreams are actually important in helping parents discover their child’s interests and hidden abilities.
Huong Tu Foundation also helps nurture these dreams with gifts such as: pencils, pens, color pencils, rulers,
erasers, and notebooks for all
grade levels. With the help of
the teachers, everything went
smoothly with all the children
lining up according to their
grade levels to receive their
gifts. Several small children
who were not old enough to
go to school also joined the
line while some stood watch-
ing their brothers and sisters
with bewilderment. The look
in their eyes seemed to ask:
“Where are my gifts?” Oh
such bright and adorable looks
in those eyes! Then there were
also some small children sit-
ting on the ground with their
little hands and feet dusty,
their noses running and their
mouths nibbling on sweet treats given to them by the team members. It was as if they were in their own little
world, not minding what the team members were doing or saying and taking lots of pictures with them. Without
a care in the world, they were completely at peace with their sweet durian candies.

It is also important to note that despite the world being so colorful, while other children of the same age as
them were running around, laughing and playing in a bustling atmosphere, there was a remarkable contrast in the
poise, composure and serenity that the novice monks exuded in their speech, their manners, in walking and sit-
ting, and even their smiles. It was all very extraordinary. Indeed, the appearance of the Buddha and generations
of his disciples is a fertile field of blessings for all sentient beings. What a great joy!

After the gift distribution, we gathered to take photos with all the students for keepsake. All the children
placed their palms together and chanted Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu! as they delightfully held up their gifts for the
photos.
Bhante Buddharakkhita kindly shared with us that it was his first time witnessing such joyful images. He was

deeply touched and appreciated the merits of the entire team very much. These images will remain in the memo-
ries of Ugandans. Thank you! Thank you!
15