{"id":432438,"date":"2011-05-30T07:03:32","date_gmt":"2011-05-30T07:03:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/05\/30\/tribute-to-a-woman-with-a-heart-of-gold\/"},"modified":"2011-05-30T07:03:32","modified_gmt":"2011-05-30T07:03:32","slug":"tribute-to-a-woman-with-a-heart-of-gold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/30\/tribute-to-a-woman-with-a-heart-of-gold\/","title":{"rendered":"Tribute to a Woman With a Heart of Gold"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Observer<\/a> (Kampala)<\/p>\n

Faridah Mbabaali Busharizi<\/p>\n

25 May 2011<\/p>\n

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opinion<\/p>\n

She was a big sister, a daughter, a jjajja, wife and friend.<\/p>\n

To us, we had the blessing of calling her ‘Mum’. Born on December 31, 1943 to Uganda’s first minister of Education, the Late Kassim Male and Hajat Hawa Salinge in Kasana, Mukono district, Mary Male Namala Mbabaali was biologically blessed with five of us but actually raised more than twelve Mbabaali children under the same roof.<\/p>\n

She did this mostly single-handedly, and she did it well. She went to St. Agnes Primary School Naggalama then to Mt St Mary’s College Namagunga and Aga Khan Secondary School, before going to the UK for her Gregg secretarial course.<\/p>\n

Mum and dad worked hard, led the good life, for dad was the General Manager of the now defunct Uganda Commercial Bank and mum had a modest job in the Bank of Uganda as a senior challenge personal secretary of one of the bosses. They were a strong team with dad as the moneymaker and mum the planner and administrator of the home.<\/p>\n

They raised an enviable family, sharing the load, loving each other and their children, and life was beautiful. On January 21, 1984, dad (Hussein Ssenyonjo Mbabaali) suddenly passed away in his sleep as he took an afternoon nap. Mum was still relatively young. Coming from a luxurious life, sprawling mansion with everything at our disposal, mum became a widow and had to step into the shoes of “daddy” overnight.<\/p>\n

She took all of us in whether we were biologically hers or not for she said this was what our dad wished for – the family to remain united. Most of us were still in primary school – expensive schools at that. To this day we still marvel at how she managed to take us through the best schools of the time. Having been born to a highly educated father and also got the best education of her time, removing us from the top schools because of money was not an option.<\/p>\n

She forewent a lot of stuff like shopping trips abroad, which were the way of life before dad passed away, new clothes and shoes and for us her children; hand-me-downs became the rule. We once laughed when my brother Hussein wore a white pair of girls’ shoes that had been handed down from our sister Sophie.<\/p>\n

As if we were not many enough, mum always took on extra responsibility, looking after more people including her siblings and their children. Our parents inspired us with their faith in God. Whenever mum got a solution to a problem, she would kneel down and ask “Banange Katonda mwebaze ntya? (How will I ever thank God?)”<\/p>\n

Many saw her as a non-believer, for she never went to the mosque five times a day. Mum loathed public displays of self-righteousness for she always said that people who portrayed themselves as religiously clean usually had a lot of dirt under their carpets. Mum, however, faithfully prayed in the confines of her bedroom.<\/p>\n

We have all received our education and are independent and self-supporting; my parents expected nothing less, and we did our best to make them proud. That we are able to take our place in the world, be independent, was a source of accomplishment for our mother.<\/p>\n

Mum was blessed with 26 grandchildren. She was loved music and it was not unusual to find a musical concert going on in her sitting room performed by her grandchildren. This year’s Mother’s Day came with a lot of discomfort, for the pain of losing mum was and is still fresh. She was a testimony of the strength of a woman and a tribute to motherhood.<\/p>\n

Mary Mbabaali was a mother to Ida Mbabaali, Sophie Mbabaali, Dr. Hussein Ssenyonjo Mbabaali, Farida Mbabaali Busharizi, Faisal Mbabaali, Sarah, Alaiser, Janet, Maria, Moses, May, Ibra, Ismail, Isaac, Jamilla Mbabaali, Dora Nanziri, Sarah Monero, Maria Namusoke and Maurice Bwanika.<\/p>\n

She died on April 15, 2011 and was buried in Kasana. May God rest your soul in eternal peace mummy.<\/p>\n

Memorial prayers are to be held at her home in Kawempe Mbogo this Sunday May 29, starting at 11:00am. For details call 0772 407137 or 0772 754029.<\/p>\n

The writer is an employee of Shell Uganda.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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\nTribute to a Woman With a Heart of Gold<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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