‘Family Hero’ winner has priceless legacy
Aug 24, 2009
Rebecca Auma, 77, served as teacher and inspector of schools in Uganda for several years. She looked after her own children, her siblings and strangers, by paying school fees and looking after them. Her story won the Family Hero contest, a series that ru
Rebecca Auma, 77, served as teacher and inspector of schools in Uganda for several years. She looked after her own children, her siblings and strangers, by paying school fees and looking after them. Her story won the Family Hero contest, a series that run in The New Vision earlier this year. She talked to Frederick Womakuyu about her life as a teacher, mother, grandmother, administrator and why she thinks education those days was better than it is today.
I was born in 1939 to a young catechist family. My father was posted to Anaka, 20km from Gulu town, to start a church.
When I was born, there was no maternity centre and women were attended to by traditional birth attendants (TBAs). An inexperienced TBA cut my umbilical cord carelessly and I bled profusely, and almost died.
After three days, my father went to a traditional surgeon for help. He came and looked at it and gave up, saying it was too bad.
However, upon my father’s insistence, the doctor put a knife in hot fire and sterilised it.
He then cut the umbilical cord, threw the knife away and fled without looking behind. That is how my life was saved.
When I was six, my father was transferred to Adjumani district to open a new church and it was there that my sister was born. At that time, I realised that my parents were not keen on taking children to school.
But one young European woman called Brown Cave, who served as headmistress of Gulu Primary School, pleaded with my parents.
“If you educate a girl, you have educated the world,†she said. Although my mother was reluctant, my father bought the idea.
In 1946, I joined Gulu Primary School. Brown Cave was responsible for my school fees and scholastic materials. At the beginning and end of the term, I walked for two days to and from school, until 1949 when the first bus came to Anaka.
Brown Cave took me around Acholi as she preached and I read the Bible. This inspired many parents to send girls to school. We were taught home economics and practical lessons that could help an individual survive in life. The purpose of the school was to train an all-round woman who could care for the family.
Whenever I went home, I mended clothes and sweaters for my siblings. During Christmas, I would make clothes for my sisters and wives of my teachers.
I also learnt how to grow vegetables and people in my village learnt from me. I advised people in the village to avoid eating one type of meal and diversify to a balanced diet.
I later joined Gulu High School, studied up to Senior Two and later enrolled at a primary teachers college for a Grade II certificate. I later became a teacher, got married and produced five children.
Unfortunately, I lost my mother, my husband and two sons at a very early age. Since my mother and husband died at about the same time, I became responsible for my own orphans and those of my mother. In 1962, as Ugandans celebrated independence, I wondered what independence meant to me.
To my family, independence meant we were going to have a black president, a new flag and the whites will leave us.
I told them that unless we worked hard and gained independence in the family, we would have nothing.
For me independence meant having enough food, school fees for the children and income to help others.
That day, I went to the garden to harvest beans. We got some money for home and school fees. That way, we became independent.
In 1963, I went to Ireland for two years and upgraded my studies to grade III certificate, something that was very rare those days.
On my return, I became headmistress of a European school where I worked for six months after which I was promoted to assistant education officer of Acholi district.
In 1968, I became assistant inspector of schools, something that earned me the name ‘husband of men’ because of my strict measures to have standard education. I went to Atiak Primary School one day and found a woman brewing local waragi.
One of the teachers at the school who was taking alcohol saw me and ran for dear life. When his pupils, saw this, they also ran, followed by the women of Atiak. I gathered the children back and decided to teach the class myself.
And so went the tale that I had made a drunkard and wife beater of a man run. That is how I came to be known ‘husband of men’.
I built a house and grew my food. I used my salary to pay school fees for my sisters and other relatives. In 1973, I was promoted to senior inspector of schools, then full inspector in 1979. I urged parents to send girls to school and enrolment increased.
During my reign, the standard of education in schools improved. We sponsored refresher courses for teachers.
After serving in Acholi region for about seven years, I was posted to Bunyoro. I opened the first regional inspectorate office there.
I retired from the education profession in 1986 and started earning my gratuity and pension. I invested my money in education so that all the people around me could be independent.
I paid fees for my children, my siblings, their children and I still pay for some of my grandchildren.
There is nothing better than education. I have educated an ambassador, lecturers, engineers and teachers.
I was born in 1939 to a young catechist family. My father was posted to Anaka, 20km from Gulu town, to start a church.
When I was born, there was no maternity centre and women were attended to by traditional birth attendants (TBAs). An inexperienced TBA cut my umbilical cord carelessly and I bled profusely, and almost died.
After three days, my father went to a traditional surgeon for help. He came and looked at it and gave up, saying it was too bad.
However, upon my father’s insistence, the doctor put a knife in hot fire and sterilised it.
He then cut the umbilical cord, threw the knife away and fled without looking behind. That is how my life was saved.
When I was six, my father was transferred to Adjumani district to open a new church and it was there that my sister was born. At that time, I realised that my parents were not keen on taking children to school.
But one young European woman called Brown Cave, who served as headmistress of Gulu Primary School, pleaded with my parents.
“If you educate a girl, you have educated the world,†she said. Although my mother was reluctant, my father bought the idea.
In 1946, I joined Gulu Primary School. Brown Cave was responsible for my school fees and scholastic materials. At the beginning and end of the term, I walked for two days to and from school, until 1949 when the first bus came to Anaka.
Brown Cave took me around Acholi as she preached and I read the Bible. This inspired many parents to send girls to school. We were taught home economics and practical lessons that could help an individual survive in life. The purpose of the school was to train an all-round woman who could care for the family.
Whenever I went home, I mended clothes and sweaters for my siblings. During Christmas, I would make clothes for my sisters and wives of my teachers.
I also learnt how to grow vegetables and people in my village learnt from me. I advised people in the village to avoid eating one type of meal and diversify to a balanced diet.
I later joined Gulu High School, studied up to Senior Two and later enrolled at a primary teachers college for a Grade II certificate. I later became a teacher, got married and produced five children.
Unfortunately, I lost my mother, my husband and two sons at a very early age. Since my mother and husband died at about the same time, I became responsible for my own orphans and those of my mother. In 1962, as Ugandans celebrated independence, I wondered what independence meant to me.
To my family, independence meant we were going to have a black president, a new flag and the whites will leave us.
I told them that unless we worked hard and gained independence in the family, we would have nothing.
For me independence meant having enough food, school fees for the children and income to help others.
That day, I went to the garden to harvest beans. We got some money for home and school fees. That way, we became independent.
In 1963, I went to Ireland for two years and upgraded my studies to grade III certificate, something that was very rare those days.
On my return, I became headmistress of a European school where I worked for six months after which I was promoted to assistant education officer of Acholi district.
In 1968, I became assistant inspector of schools, something that earned me the name ‘husband of men’ because of my strict measures to have standard education. I went to Atiak Primary School one day and found a woman brewing local waragi.
One of the teachers at the school who was taking alcohol saw me and ran for dear life. When his pupils, saw this, they also ran, followed by the women of Atiak. I gathered the children back and decided to teach the class myself.
And so went the tale that I had made a drunkard and wife beater of a man run. That is how I came to be known ‘husband of men’.
I built a house and grew my food. I used my salary to pay school fees for my sisters and other relatives. In 1973, I was promoted to senior inspector of schools, then full inspector in 1979. I urged parents to send girls to school and enrolment increased.
During my reign, the standard of education in schools improved. We sponsored refresher courses for teachers.
After serving in Acholi region for about seven years, I was posted to Bunyoro. I opened the first regional inspectorate office there.
I retired from the education profession in 1986 and started earning my gratuity and pension. I invested my money in education so that all the people around me could be independent.
I paid fees for my children, my siblings, their children and I still pay for some of my grandchildren.
There is nothing better than education. I have educated an ambassador, lecturers, engineers and teachers.