Quite an unusual title for a blogrite of a alive and very much kicking person. Well I m compelled to write it. Oh for that matter a dead person cant be writing a blog. Anyways 23rd morning, Monday, first day of the week, first thing I see outside my office is a speeding matatu knocking off a lady. The lady is flung about a 6 feet screaming out. A very sad start to the week. Very sadly, the lady couldn’t move even a bit. A hit and run case but then some good Samaritan ran after the matatu and brought him to the spot of accident. I was in total shock but then we can do anything.
Cut back to my journey to Jinja (about 100 km frm here), the same day. There’s this conversation with my driver, lets call him ‘M’ regarding the same. The talk is put in exact same way as it went through:
Me: I saw an accident very deadly near our office. I think the lady wont survive.
Driver M: It is God’s wish
Me: But the vehicle hit her at a very high speed and it is a LIFE. It would be bad if she doesn’t survive.
Driver M: If God had wished her to die, she would die. If God had plans for her then she would had died even after being hit at a very low speed as well.
Me: Wow, you don’t care for a life or what!! Due to some other person’s mistake she would lose her life. Ok even if its not about her own life, what about the persons who were dependent on her. She could have been supporting a whole lot of people, who in turn would turn destitute due to her death.
Driver M: God will look after then.
Me: will God feed them and give them clothing and other necessities as well?
Driver M: Yes he will.
Me: What have those people at the mosque thought u up (he is a Moslem). One has to feed ourselves, one cannot depend on God for everything, otherwise we will starve to death. We should have belief in God but never put everything on Him.
Driver M: You know what I lost my father at the age of 2 and God helped me survive.
Me: Its not about how you survived. Its about the pains that your mother took in growing u up. You can say that God helped you live out but you cant leave everything on God only.
That conversation ends there. He is quiet and I didn’t say anything more. I had such discussions with him many a times.
My driver is a Muslim. No I don’t have anything against muslims. I got many muslim friends out there in India. I had a very close Muslim friend, with whom I used to share food and many a thoughts as well. But then this type of dependence and putting everything that’s ill on God, is something which I have not seen in them or there. Its only here that I have seen this. I had this debate about God and things etc. may a times with my driver, but then stopped short of having a fight with him because of the fear of being bashed up. Hehhehehehe… he seems stronger than me. Lol
In other things, Govt. calls for a scheme of health insurance. Good thought, if action taken in good faith. But then workers declined to take in the scheme. For their part they are also correct, 4% of salary for me wont be nothing as I can call myself pretty well to do. But for an average Ugandan, who earns like 300,000 – 400,000 (USD 150-200), it would be a big amount (well for that matter earning USD 200 is a big amount in India as well, for me as well, but that fact requires a different post and entry). Couple all this to the 10-15% which they tend to put into a hole called NSSF (Social Security) and then again cant withdraw that amount or take a loan on that amount and then again something like Temangalo happens, it feels bad (for anyone).
Lastly some food for thought, I thought about it many times, you too do so.
I had read somewhere that in Uganda, for Ministry of Health, the four wheel drive Land Cruiser Vehicles outnumber Ambulance by a ratio of about 20:1. i.e. 20 LCVs for each ambulance. If you don’t believe me then check out any Govt. vehicle with a M after the number plate and then tell me how many of them are Land Cruisers and how many of them are Ambulances!!!!
Cheers and have a great week ahead!!!
Santosh
