Remembering My Teachers – Mr. Arthur Barugahare

At the tail end of our visit to Mr. Barugahare, fondly known to most of us (his students) as Barugafar, he opened his shirt to reveal a rather frightening scar that moves from his back to the chest just below his right armpit. It was so scary to imagine that a human being can be opened in such a fundamental way and lives to tell the story. Thanks to Doctors, those bookworms, the life givers.

On 14th January 2023, Thaddeus and I had gone to visit Barugafar at his home in Muhanga. Like a Citadel, his house is perched at a hill overlooking Muhanga Town Council. It is a humble home with a great view and an avalanche of cool fresh air. It is from here that Barugafar has settled in retirement. A man who was not only a great Teacher of Geography but also a great story teller, a disciplinarian and a Parent. It was evident that he longs to tell his usual stories but certainly lacks the audience. He is in full control of his mental faculties, remembers the historical events and has a good grasp of current affairs.

Our conversation veered from his career as a teacher, to politics and largely to his sickness journey, a fierce fight with Cancer and its attendant ailments that started as far as 23 years ago. He clearly stated that most teachers and administrators nolonger care about the students and schools and that this has been a great source of the failing we notice especially in Government schools.

Through his non stop stories I remembered my most memorable encounter with Barugafar. As we always did, together with friends, we had taken refuge from the ruthless Kabale coldness by dodging class and attending to the “Equator” behind the Laboratories near Lumumba B Dormitory. No sooner had we settled there than a frantic rush of boys in blue sweaters signalled danger. Back then I had some traits of “YOU KNOW ME SITYA DANGER” and in that spirit I sought to find out who was causing commotion. With my left eye slowly going beyond the wall I noticed the unmistakably tall Barugafar coming towards my side. He needed no sticks like the rest of the teachers, God had gifted him with a huge palm of a hand complete with long and huge fingers. Indeed Danger had arrived, a different kind of Danger, the Danger that can be dangerous. I quickly figured out that dashing to Lumumba B4 dorm was a better escape route. In no minute I had disappeared there in. But it seems I wasn’t fast enough and he had seen my back or possibly by the time my left eye went over the Science Lab wall as I peeped, my rather big sized head had been noticed. While I disappeared in the showers(washrooms), Barugafar swang the front door open. “Rwakinanga come here, I know you are in here” he retorted.

Danger…!

In a never give up spirit, through the showers, I climbed the ceiling and the place became quiet. When I was getting convinced that he had left, he returned with the Carpenter and asked him to climb into the ceiling and get me. Without bothering whether there was a snake or electricity, I pushed back and hid behind a metallic water tank. The Carpenter (God bless him) only peeped and told him, there was no one and off they went.

Barugafar went straight to my class (S2B) to confirm his suspicion and indeed I wasn’t there. What followed thereafter is a story for another day but atleast, I wasn’t crashed in his huge palms. Such was the kind of concern we enlisted from our teachers back then. May God bless those patriotic citizens.

Being sick and frail has taken from him part of the man that he was, a punctual, tall, quick and energetic teacher. His Muhanga house location makes it hard for him to move because it would be hard for him to scale that hill to safety after a days round of teaching. How I wish he would get as many visitors as he could.

We had been notified of his plight on 21st December 2022 when Robert Katebariirwe one of his older students posted photos of him on the Siniya Alumni Forum WhatsApp group in a message that told of his illness, medical expenditure and frequent travels to and from the Hospital. We decided to contribute something and remind him of his Goodness to us. At the end of the day, two of us managed to go and check on him. We figured that sending just little money would be meaningless.

His story is sad. Sick, frail and without a steady source of enough finances. Even in this situation, with gratitude, he considers himself lucky that he picks some pension, not enough to cater for his monthly medical bills but atleast it is there. He wishes all Government workers had medical insurance as part of their package as they enter into retirement. He has given up on some of the dreams he had since his gratuity was eroded by his long stay in Hospital before and after the operation. He tells a story of how he lost around 28 Kgs and was looking like a skeleton as he went through the operation and doses of chemotherapy. Around March 2021, he was convinced that he would die. He, however, wasn’t worried as he had accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour way before the illness. He called all people who were with him in Hospital and told them to delete all his pictures when he looked terrible. In his words “That’s not how I wanted to be remembered”.

Looking at him now, Doctors have given him a new lease of life. He has regained his weight but his legs are too weak. He tried to escort us but couldn’t go beyond the compound. Releasing us was so difficult because there was alot he wanted to tell us. It was evident he lacked company and his legs were not helping. I pray that as many of his students as possible visit him on what he calls “My Last Journey On Earth”.

When we took that last step out of the compound, Thaddeus looked at me and told me, “if this man has gone through chemo and still looks like this, he is going to get healed”. I nodded in approval without uttering a word. Thaddeus again looked back and said the same words to our beloved teacher and before we disappeared in the plantation, Mr Barugafar responded with Amen.