The Price of Stones by Twesigye Jackson Kaguri

The devastation of the AIDS epidemic in Africa becomes something more than a headline in in The Price of Stones. When his brother succumbs to the disease in Uganda, Kaguri resolves to do something for children in his village who, like his nephew and niece, have not only been orphaned by the disease but, because of superstition and a lack of understanding are stigmatized by it as well, to the point of even being considered a cause. With nothing more than an idea and his faith Kaguri, who spent a year of post-graduate study at Columbia, patiently and relentlessly navigates the obstacles of African bureaucracy and corruption to build and fund the Nyaka Aids Orphan School. Like Three Cups of Tea (Penguin 2007), this tale offers teens an insight into a different culture as it provides them with an inspiring model of a single person making a significant difference in a world of daunting problems. (Published for adults, but should of interest and value for teens).

John Sexton, WLS

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