Resisting Corruption Stories

By Anthony:

Back in April, I had the opportunity to lead a training of Helping Without Hurting in Africa for World Renew Uganda and their partners near Kampala. We were trying to complete the 2nd half of the training manual. A couple Resonate teammates also joined us.

Our bishop friend, Bishop Martin, had just got his first smartphone. He was trying out taking a selfie for the first time. You are never too old to learn!

We discussed corruption in society and broken cultural and economic systems that keep people in poverty and I heard many interesting but depressing stories and examples:

• A woman lost her husband and became a widow. The husband's clan and family blamed her for her husband's death and accused her of witchcraft. They then claimed all of her properties leaving her with nothing.
• There are still areas in Uganda where women and daughters can't inherit land due to cultural beliefs.
• There are many land disagreements as land for farmers keeps shrinking as they have to keep dividing it among many children each generation. One story was shared about a father who is still young enough to want to farm his land on his own, to provide for his own needs, but his sons demanded that he divide up the land for them now so that they can begin farming for themselves. It reminded me of the Parable of the Prodigal Son, when the son demanded the inheritance early. But in this case, you can certainly understand the motive of both the father and the sons, it's a hard situation in which they all need the land for the survival of their families.
• Something random but interesting I learned about the culture. In the old days, but not happening anymore, was that after a wife gave birth to a child, she would often be sent to her parents' home for two years while caring for the baby and to have time away from the husband. They said it was perhaps a way for child spacing to happen without birth control, but they also noted that the practice led to adultery and polygamy in many cases.
• A story was shared about a teacher who tried to apply to become a deputy head teacher of a public secondary school. The people interviewing him told him directly that he was wasting his time if he didn't give a 6 million shilling bribe just to be considered. The person left in disgust at the corrupt system.
• A story was shared about people who were trying to register a primary school with the government and there were demands that money be slipped under the table at most of the steps of the very long bureaucratic process. There are many schools in Uganda that operate without registration. But what often happens is that those schools, companies, organizations, and individuals who try to do things correctly by getting proper documents, registrations, and permits, are made to face many delays and extortion.

Despite these hard everyday examples, we also heard some very encouraging stories of change. There are many faithful Christians in Africa who refuse to give bribes, who refuse to give in to extortion, and who are bringing about real change. It's hard and it's slow, but positive change can happen. One participant, pastor Pauline, was willing to type up a couple of her stories for me in order to share them with you:

Story #1
"My name is Pauline Akankwasa, aged 53 years old, married to Mr. Akankwasa Andrew with four children and I live in the hills of Kabale district Uganda. I am a retired nurse who worked for twenty years in Kabale Regional Referral Hospital Kabale.

During my practice I happened to do my job as a Christian and also as an ethical nurse. Although our motto says "we are called to love and to serve," I found that many medical personnel want patients to love us first by giving us something in order to serve them.

One day I was working in a surgical ward on night duty. I found an old man who had come during day with the case of an intestinal obstruction. The old man was in pain in that he would spend the whole night screaming because of the pain. This pain kept on increasing every day until I asked the attendants why the surgeon had not operated on him because he needed an operation. The attendants told me that they asked him for money which he didn't have. Medical care in Uganda is supposed to be free although it is extremely rare to get medical treatment without paying something. I was so much troubled to see the old man dying in much pain in the government hospital, because had not given a bribe of 400,000 shillings. They told me that his family had tried to sell their only small land they had, but failed to get some one to buy it. 

As an ethical nurse, I am supposed to be empathetic to patients, and as a Christian nurse, the Bible tells me "To love my neighbors as I love myself."

I decided to risk my job. I went and reported the case to the hospital Director who was also a doctor. I cried before the Director's office requesting him to go to the ward and see the pain the patient was in.

The Director accepted my request and when he reached to the ward, he saw the patient and ordered the surgeon to operate on the old man. The old man was operated and he recovered. But afterwards I was hated by almost the whole hospital staff. They would all say "How can a mere nurse report all the surgeons?"

I thank God that this old man survived. I didn't know where this patient was coming from. One day after two years, he heard me preaching on the radio, and he decided to visit our church. He was looking for me to give me a gift and also to invite me to go and attend his thanksgiving service, thanking God for healing him. I was so much happy to see old man alive.

My appeal to all Christian medical personnel: Let's value people's lives more than money and as the Bible says "Do to others what you would have them do to you." Let's also respect our motto which says that "We are called to love and serve."

Story #2
The time came when I wanted to retire from my job. I made an application which I took to the public service. One day I went to the hospital Human Resource person who was supposed to follow up my retirement application. She told me that I have to give a bribe in order for my file to move or to be worked on. I told her that I can't bribe because I am saved, but I can appreciate people after doing a good work. The Human Resource person told me to leave her office and never to ask her anything concerning my retirement since I have refused to bribe the people in the ministry to work on my retirement. I told her that if it's God's will for me to retire from this job, He will do it for me. I left her office and went. 

What surprised me was that after only two months, the hospital secretary called me and he gave me a letter which I expected to be for a transfer because during that time they were transferring staff. But to my surprise, when opened it I found a very good letter granting me to take my early retirement. I was very happy to see how God intervened and my request went through even when I had not paid any bribe.

They even ordered the original HR person to start working on my gratuity, and again she demanded a bribe to let my money come. I refused and she was forced to do the work anyway. It didn't take even a year and my gratuity came.

Sometimes the Devil deceives us that when we stand on the truth, things may not work out. But God is faithful. We need to refuse the Devil's lies and stand on the truth. God will do His work.