Visiting the homes of students in remote locations takes perseverance. Especially during the rainy season when roads are less than easy to traverse.

But the Invisible Children (IC) mentors will not be fazed. Last week, IC mentor Betty set out to visit the parents of some of the students she mentors in the Legacy Scholarship Program. While some students are attending schools in town, their families often live in remote villages. It’s the job of the mentor to carry updates on the students to their parents, and to encourage parents to keep their children in school.

On this particular day, it had just rained and some of the dirt roads had developed a slick layer of mud that sent the IC land cruiser into a tailspin. Slowly but surely, the driver skillfully eased his way through the slippery black mud, sliding and spinning as though driving on a sheet of ice.

That obstacle overcome, they came to a river. Betty is a pro at crossing rivers, and without hesitation she hopped out of the car and began wading through the water, feeling out the best route for the vehicle to cross. Once on the other side she shouted directions to the driver, Patrick, who expertly maneuvered through the shallow current to the opposite shore. They repeated this process for two more rivers.

Gunning the engine to make it up the steep bank of the third river, Patrick’s left tires were caught in a deep ditch. The vehicle tilted off the road, and everyone piled out of the vehicle to help push it back into an upright position.

By this time, the sun had come out, and it continued to shine on the rest of the journey. Betty made it to her mentee’s village and completed her mission. All in a day’s work!

 

-Bethany