Lela’s story is a harrowing one, and it is told with unflinching honesty. Growing up in Uganda, the youngest of four girls, she can never understand why her Maama treats her like a servant, why she isn’t allowed to go to school like the other girls, why she has to tramp mile after backbreaking mile each day to fetch water, why she is begrudged her every mouthful of food. Then a distant relative comes to stay, and her world is shattered.
Every time Lela thinks she has her heart’s desire, it is snatched from her. She wants nothing more than any other child: she wants to be loved, to be safe, to have an education, to have a chance at a good life. Instead, she is beaten, abused, treated as yesterday’s garbage, and endures appalling poverty, deprivation, homelessness, disease and hunger, yet she endures not only for herself, but for her family, a testament to her indomitable spirit, her humanity and her faith.
The book is at times very painful to read. Sarah Jarman deserves huge kudos for her incredibly sensitive handling of the subject matter. Lela’s story is at once special as she has achieved so much against impossible odds, but it is also far too ordinary: too many children in Africa endure hell on earth on a daily basis, and their stories need to be heard. Lela doesn’t just speak for herself, she speaks for them too.
Disclaimer: I’m good friends with both of the authors and I helped to edit the book. I did so free, gratis and for nothing, as a third of the proceeds go to Rafiki Thabo, https://rafiki-foundation.org.uk/ a charity which provides educational grants to African students who otherwise would not be able to afford the fees. Rafiki Thabo gave Lela a grant which enabled her to finish university, and this is her way of saying thank you.
