The day starts when we were at a sports day with over 30 different schools competing. This was a truly Ugandan ran sports day……nobody really knew what was going on. Rachael had placed her camera in her bag, placed it with the other bags and turned round to watch the sports. Minutes later a child from the school we were with shouted to us, "they have taken your bag" All confused we turn round and saw loads of orange topped children running down the road. Rachael and I decided to follow them.
As we catch up, everyone was following this boy Owen. Owen was a skinny boy about the age 12, wearing only a ripped vest, shorts and no shoes. With one eye partially shut due to being stung by a bee, a chimney sweepers hat and a Moses stick in his right hand, he points forward and says they ran this way. While both following Owen, Rachael with no shoes on falls to the floor in bits. As the local community see this they crowd round her and comfort her.
Owen and I continue running for over 2 miles. As we ran through loads of communities, people were pointing and shouting to us to help us find these boys. Every time I turned round more and more people (with no shoes and sticks in their hands) had joined on to this mass search for the camera. We eventually stopped on this over grown train track. Completely out of breath I start to question myself, what on earth am I doing? Surrounded by 25 kids with sticks…..stood on a train track in the middle of nowhere…who do I think I am….
While questioning my life situation all the kids were shouting in local language. Owen was using his stick to point in different directions and addressing the group…all I can imagine he is doing is a 'Liam Neeson'
Eventually we followed Owen up the train track and miraculously came across a boy who was involved. They surrounded this boy holding their sticks at him shouting in local language. This boy was crying his eyes out looking at me. I was so confused because at this point I had no idea who this boy was. The situation escalated where a man came over from his house and grabbed the boys hands and instructed the others to bring something over. To my surprise and shock they brought over this huge bolder and started to raise it above his head……. Im stood in the middle of nowhere, with about 30 people I don't even know, with a boy about to be stoned. I start to ask questions and try and prevent this boy from being hurt, but I am completely ignored because no one can speak English.
As Rachael catches up, a taxi man (Motorbike man) explains that this boy was involved and agreed to take us to the police station. Rachael gets on a bike with Owen and starts to set off. This little girl starts crying and people are saying its Owen's sister, so Rachael lifts the crying girl up and puts her on the bike. I'm on the bike with this boy who had just nearly been stoned. As my hands wrap round him as his seatbelt, I can feel his little heart beating so fast.
When we arrived at the police station the police asked us who everyone was. When it got to the little girl we just said thats Owens sister. Owen denied this and said he didn't even know this girl. To cut a long story short….Rachael had basically kidnapped this child for the day !!
After spending 3 hours at the police station, the detectives idea was for Rachael and I to go round town and look out for someone spending a lot of money…. What a ground breaking idea, why didn't I think of that??
We then found ourselves advising the Police and telling them what the best strategy is.
Unfortunately after many failed attempts we didn't get the camera back. But in this whole situation we both got to learn and see so much. What really touched me was when I was running through these communities, so many people joined us to help find this camera. There is such a sense of community to help one another. What an experience.
A few weeks later we went to find Owen, thank him and give him a present for all he did for us that day. If it wasn't for Owen we would have never had any leads. What a Legend.
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