Hillsboro students learn about life in Uganda
Lead Summary
By
Caitlin Forsha-crforsha@gmail.com
Hillsboro High School students recently had the opportunity to learn firsthand about life in Uganda with the visit of Cyrus Muwanga Mark, an east African native visiting the United States for the first time on a missionarymtrip.
Mark was the guest of Hillsboro High School teacher and former basketball coach Joe B. Stewart, who, along with his wife, Debbi, hosted Mark during his visit for leadership training at Athletes in Action world headquarters in Xenia.
Mark is the head of the Ugandan branch of Athletes in Action, an international sports ministry program based in Xenia, as part of the Campus Crusade for Christ, International organization. A former athlete himself, Mark was named the 2007 African Table Tennis champion and is one of the top table tennis players in the world.
“Mark came to the revelation of Christ’s love following a humiliating defeat in the 2007 World University Games,” Stewart said. “AIA staff had a presence at the event, and at Mark’s most difficult time, were there to encourage him that there was more to life than winning or losing in competition. That meeting, and the prayers of those staffers, planted seeds of faith in Jesus Christ that has inspired Mark to seek to serve God through AIA as well.”
Stewart began volunteering for Athletes in Action around the same time Mark was introduced to the organization, as Stewart got involved with AIA through his friend Brad Soderberg, an NCAA basketball coach. At Soderberg’s suggestion, Stewart applied and flew to Kenya in 2007 and spent the summer coaching basketball, and has continued to travel to Africa each summer since then.
“I coached over a period of 25 years,” Stewart said. “2007 was my final year coaching here at HHS, and I’ve been doing the summers in Africa ever since.”
Stewart has conducted coaches clinics in Africa the past four summers in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and South Africa for Athletes in Action, presenting a range of topics on teaching the game and organizing a basketball program. During their 2010 mission, Stewart’s wife Debbi was a part of the Humanitarian Aid arm of the project, serving in an orphanage for homeless children from the capital city’s slums. It was during this trip to Uganda that the Stewarts befriended Mark and his family.
“Cyrus, being the Athletes in Action representative there, coordinated the event,” Stewart said. “He was more than just an openhearted guy, but also, really, an exceptional leader and organizer, and we have become friends of theirs ever since.”
This is Mark’s first trip to the United States. According to Stewart, Mark flew into Orlando, Fla. for his first experience in the country, attending leadership training courses for Campus Crusade.
“Some of our kids groaned when he reported that he spent 33 hours on a plane,” Stewart said.
Stewart said that Mark, who has a degree in education, “has a real teacher’s heart,” and he knew that he would make an impact on HHS students.
During Mark’s visit to HHS, students learned of Ugandan culture, economy, standard of living, currency, infrastructure, customs and courtesy. In addition to Mr. Stewart’s English classes, Mark also spoke to Mr. Cheesbro’s History of Sport in social studies and discussed African food and nutrition to home economics courses taught by Mrs. Langston.
Given the opportunity to ask questions of Mark, HHS students learned that less than 1 percent of Ugandans own a vehicle and that most live on less than one dollar a day. After Mark spoke to Mrs. Langston’s home economics class, discussing the nutritional aspects of the country and their financial situation, Stewart said students were immediately moved to help. At their urging, Stewart has implemented a “Cyrus fund” change jar for anyone wanting to donate spare change.
“One of the kids was really brokenhearted about Cyrus’s living on a less than a dollar a day, and the kids said to me, ‘I have change at the end of every day, and I realize what that change could do,’” Stewart said.
Stewart said that among the things that impressed Mark were the student parking lot and the school itself, much to the surprise of his students.
In Africa, Mark said that thousands of people are always walking, not driving, and the idea of students driving to school was unheard of. Stewart said that his students were surprised at his reaction to American transportation.
“He said to me that it seems sad,” Stewart said. “He means that no one is talking … there’s no communicating, no sense of community. Everyone’s in their own homes, doing their own things, and that really made our kids think.”
When a student asked Mark what he would like to take back to Uganda, Stewart said that he responded, “I would like to take back this school.”
“A room half the size of this one would hold about 250 students for a classroom,” Mark said. “You students are so blessed.”
In addition to the serious topics discussed about African poverty and culture, Mark showed HHS students his sense of humor and down-to-earth attitude, thrilling students as well as faculty.
One Hillsboro student in particular was overjoyed at the opportunity to interact with table tennis champion Mark, who accepted his request to play against him in the hallway. The table tennis match drew a crowd of students and faculty.
“[The student] said it would be a real honor to play with the African champion,” Stewart said. “They pulled a table out in the hallway, and Cyrus delivered a lesson, but the young man he played against … he really encouraged him.”
Stewart was also pleased with Mark’s “fun” contribution to his class, which Stewart said impressed his students.
“My ‘cool teacher’ moment was when one of my kids asked him to interpret a line from Shakespeare in his native language,” Stewart said.
After learning about the African economy and lifestyles and hearing stories of poverty told matter-of-factly, without asking for sympathy or help, HHS students were “buzzing” about Mark’s visit, Stewart said.
“We had 17- and 18-year-olds from this community who really touched his heart, and he really touched theirs,” Stewart said. “I think our kids are going to look at their own community through a much different lens.
“Cyrus would tell you we have warm people in southern Ohio, and our kids are saying there are warm people in Uganda.”
As Stewart plans to retire from HHS at the end of this school year, he said that he hopes that in the future, he and his wife can move to Africa at least part-time to serve people there.
“My wife and I both really feel a real heart for Africa,” Stewart said. “It was initially always my wife’s dream to do mission work in Africa, and once I had the opportunity to go, Africa feels like southern Ohio to me.
“When my wife finally got to go two summers ago, she got off the plane and immediately said, ‘I know what you mean now.’ Somewhere down the road in the future, if a door would open, we would be very willing to walk through it and serve there.”
In addition to attending an international coaching clinic in Xenia, Mark will be traveling to meet prospective financial supporters in metropolitan areas such as Chicago, Iowa and New York before returning to Uganda on Dec. 2.
Stewart will return to Africa again in August 2012, and Mrs. Stewart has written a cookbook, “The Occasional Cook,” with proceeds going to the orphanage.
Details on supporting Cyrus or the orphanage may be obtained by calling the Stewarts at (740) 335-8012.[[In-content Ad]]
Mark was the guest of Hillsboro High School teacher and former basketball coach Joe B. Stewart, who, along with his wife, Debbi, hosted Mark during his visit for leadership training at Athletes in Action world headquarters in Xenia.
Mark is the head of the Ugandan branch of Athletes in Action, an international sports ministry program based in Xenia, as part of the Campus Crusade for Christ, International organization. A former athlete himself, Mark was named the 2007 African Table Tennis champion and is one of the top table tennis players in the world.
“Mark came to the revelation of Christ’s love following a humiliating defeat in the 2007 World University Games,” Stewart said. “AIA staff had a presence at the event, and at Mark’s most difficult time, were there to encourage him that there was more to life than winning or losing in competition. That meeting, and the prayers of those staffers, planted seeds of faith in Jesus Christ that has inspired Mark to seek to serve God through AIA as well.”
Stewart began volunteering for Athletes in Action around the same time Mark was introduced to the organization, as Stewart got involved with AIA through his friend Brad Soderberg, an NCAA basketball coach. At Soderberg’s suggestion, Stewart applied and flew to Kenya in 2007 and spent the summer coaching basketball, and has continued to travel to Africa each summer since then.
“I coached over a period of 25 years,” Stewart said. “2007 was my final year coaching here at HHS, and I’ve been doing the summers in Africa ever since.”
Stewart has conducted coaches clinics in Africa the past four summers in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and South Africa for Athletes in Action, presenting a range of topics on teaching the game and organizing a basketball program. During their 2010 mission, Stewart’s wife Debbi was a part of the Humanitarian Aid arm of the project, serving in an orphanage for homeless children from the capital city’s slums. It was during this trip to Uganda that the Stewarts befriended Mark and his family.
“Cyrus, being the Athletes in Action representative there, coordinated the event,” Stewart said. “He was more than just an openhearted guy, but also, really, an exceptional leader and organizer, and we have become friends of theirs ever since.”
This is Mark’s first trip to the United States. According to Stewart, Mark flew into Orlando, Fla. for his first experience in the country, attending leadership training courses for Campus Crusade.
“Some of our kids groaned when he reported that he spent 33 hours on a plane,” Stewart said.
Stewart said that Mark, who has a degree in education, “has a real teacher’s heart,” and he knew that he would make an impact on HHS students.
During Mark’s visit to HHS, students learned of Ugandan culture, economy, standard of living, currency, infrastructure, customs and courtesy. In addition to Mr. Stewart’s English classes, Mark also spoke to Mr. Cheesbro’s History of Sport in social studies and discussed African food and nutrition to home economics courses taught by Mrs. Langston.
Given the opportunity to ask questions of Mark, HHS students learned that less than 1 percent of Ugandans own a vehicle and that most live on less than one dollar a day. After Mark spoke to Mrs. Langston’s home economics class, discussing the nutritional aspects of the country and their financial situation, Stewart said students were immediately moved to help. At their urging, Stewart has implemented a “Cyrus fund” change jar for anyone wanting to donate spare change.
“One of the kids was really brokenhearted about Cyrus’s living on a less than a dollar a day, and the kids said to me, ‘I have change at the end of every day, and I realize what that change could do,’” Stewart said.
Stewart said that among the things that impressed Mark were the student parking lot and the school itself, much to the surprise of his students.
In Africa, Mark said that thousands of people are always walking, not driving, and the idea of students driving to school was unheard of. Stewart said that his students were surprised at his reaction to American transportation.
“He said to me that it seems sad,” Stewart said. “He means that no one is talking … there’s no communicating, no sense of community. Everyone’s in their own homes, doing their own things, and that really made our kids think.”
When a student asked Mark what he would like to take back to Uganda, Stewart said that he responded, “I would like to take back this school.”
“A room half the size of this one would hold about 250 students for a classroom,” Mark said. “You students are so blessed.”
In addition to the serious topics discussed about African poverty and culture, Mark showed HHS students his sense of humor and down-to-earth attitude, thrilling students as well as faculty.
One Hillsboro student in particular was overjoyed at the opportunity to interact with table tennis champion Mark, who accepted his request to play against him in the hallway. The table tennis match drew a crowd of students and faculty.
“[The student] said it would be a real honor to play with the African champion,” Stewart said. “They pulled a table out in the hallway, and Cyrus delivered a lesson, but the young man he played against … he really encouraged him.”
Stewart was also pleased with Mark’s “fun” contribution to his class, which Stewart said impressed his students.
“My ‘cool teacher’ moment was when one of my kids asked him to interpret a line from Shakespeare in his native language,” Stewart said.
After learning about the African economy and lifestyles and hearing stories of poverty told matter-of-factly, without asking for sympathy or help, HHS students were “buzzing” about Mark’s visit, Stewart said.
“We had 17- and 18-year-olds from this community who really touched his heart, and he really touched theirs,” Stewart said. “I think our kids are going to look at their own community through a much different lens.
“Cyrus would tell you we have warm people in southern Ohio, and our kids are saying there are warm people in Uganda.”
As Stewart plans to retire from HHS at the end of this school year, he said that he hopes that in the future, he and his wife can move to Africa at least part-time to serve people there.
“My wife and I both really feel a real heart for Africa,” Stewart said. “It was initially always my wife’s dream to do mission work in Africa, and once I had the opportunity to go, Africa feels like southern Ohio to me.
“When my wife finally got to go two summers ago, she got off the plane and immediately said, ‘I know what you mean now.’ Somewhere down the road in the future, if a door would open, we would be very willing to walk through it and serve there.”
In addition to attending an international coaching clinic in Xenia, Mark will be traveling to meet prospective financial supporters in metropolitan areas such as Chicago, Iowa and New York before returning to Uganda on Dec. 2.
Stewart will return to Africa again in August 2012, and Mrs. Stewart has written a cookbook, “The Occasional Cook,” with proceeds going to the orphanage.
Details on supporting Cyrus or the orphanage may be obtained by calling the Stewarts at (740) 335-8012.[[In-content Ad]]