``White People are blessed,`` said Moses.

As I sat waiting for a shave, I struck up a conversation with the youth next to me; he was waiting for a haircut. We made small talk about this and that and the inevitable question arose – where was I from. This is always a complicated question because where I am coming from and where I am from and where I am genetically from is all different. I decided that the best answer would be to answer where I was coming from – Canada. I realised that I posit a contradiction of sorts to Moses. This was confirmed by his next statement – he said that my skin is rather dark for a Muzungu (this is the local word for Caucasians); I must be of mixed blood. I look somewhat Muindie (local word for Indians) but not quite so. I then had to launch into a complicated explanation about why I look the way I did and so forth. However, this was not the highlight of the interaction.

I was struck by the intensity and depth of feeling that the simple words spoken by Moses communicated: he said that white people are truly blessed; they are full of compassion and love to come to Uganda and adopt and care for orphans and do so many good and charitable works. People who do so much good must surely be blessed.

There are indeed many Churches and other Western based organisations doing great things here. However, the contrast that Moses was making was that the world have so many Asian (this generally means Indians) millionaires and Uganda even (apparently, the second richest man in the country is of Indian extraction) but so few are engaged in this kind of work. There is certainly some truth to this statement. I think that the Forbes magazine continues to list untold numbers of millionaires and billionaires in India and one hardly hear about the charitable ventures that they are engaged in. Indeed, there many children that urgently need care and an opportunity in India. Surely, those that have been so handsomely rewarded with the fruits of their labour could do much more that is currently the case.

Back to Moses and I - I opined that perhaps, the reason why many Asians are not that involved may be because they probably do much of their charitable works in Asia – which is largely a developing region of the world also. I also wanted to impart to Moses that we are all equally blessed (no group is more blessed than any other – even Moses is blessed, I said to him), but it is how we choose to live and what we choose to do with ourselves that is really important. The Westerners doing amazing work in Uganda chose to invest their efforts and resources in what they consider meaningful – to help children and the under privileged; this should be celebrated! I then pointed out a story in the news paper where it was reported that a group has sponsored the school feels and other needs of 100 orphans in Western Uganda and it was not a foreign group, but rather some local organisation. This should be recognised also.

Moses still thinks that some people are more blessed..... and who am I to argue with this! It is undeniable the number of Brits, Americans and Canadians who are here working with vulnerable communities. The Watoto church is engaged in many amazing projects centred on children! Indeed the visibility is there but I guess my post colonial warning signs are raised when I hear people speak in such terms...but I may have just over thought it.

At this time, the barber motioned for me to come get my shave. I bid adieu to Moses and went on to enjoy a shave that took me all the way back to Stewartville Secondary School and the year 1994!