Bahati's Story

Life here is difficult. Not so much for me. But certainly for so many of my students. Education is not valued in this community, and it is difficult to instill the importance of learning in a community where the worth is not present and often not applicable. For a very select number of students, their education will take them places, while the rest will generally continue village life as parents, farmers, or herders. This is something I’ve come to accept, because there is only so much that I could do in a short amount of time. It will take years, even generations, to truly promote education at a new level in these communities. And such is life.

However, for the few students who are gifted, driven and devoted to their studies, it becomes imperative that their education is encouraged. These are the few who will make it out of the village to pursue higher degrees, hold government positions and make more of their lives. These are the bright stars of Tanzania’s tomorrow…

When my headmaster came in to share the story of one of my students this past week, a huge wave of emotion crashed down on me. Bahati is by far the top Form 1 student at Bukiriro. He is incredibly smart and a natural leader in class. His English is better than many Form 4 students. In class, he would raise his hand to answer any and every question I posed during our lessons. He scored nearly 100% on every assignment, quiz and exam I gave, and was always eager to ask questions and assist any of the teachers when needed. Needless to say, he is certainly going places.

But then, come to find out that his mother is not supporting his education. She told him if he was going to study in secondary school, then he would have to leave the house. So he did. And for a while he was living with the nuns in the community, until they decided they couldn’t support him because he is now a grown man. Sure, he is tall, but he is still a young, growing boy in need of a place to say and someone to support his education. With no other alternative, he returned home to his mother, who threatened not to feed him if he continued attending school. I can personally say that Bahati has never missed a day of school all term….which unfortunately means he has missed several meals in the past few weeks. Imagine if we didn’t serve the students porridge in the mornings? My heart aches….My headmaster found him studying at school late in the evenings a few days in a row, and when he heard the story became determined to find Bahati an alternative.

For now, that alternative is to stay with my headmaster and his family, who will care for him while he continues learning. My headmaster is one of the most loving, kind, and generous men I have ever had the pleasure of working with, and I am happy to hear that at least for now, Bahati’s basic needs of food and education will be taken care of. And as Marisa and I are moving out of our house, we were able to provide him with a mattress, sheet, pillow, blanket and bicycle. Knowing that he will also sleep soundly at night and that he’ll have a bicycle to travel, support the family, and potentially begin earning some money of his own, makes me confident that we will be hearing more of Bahati’s story in the coming years!

I am reminded of God’s unfailing love and provision. I am reminded that sometimes life is really difficult, but that this can be overcome by the power of persistence, the pursuit of your dreams, and one or two people who truly believe in you. I have been reminded of how blessed I am to have the untiring support of my family and friends, and I hope that in some small way, I was able to show the same love and support to Bahati and the rest of my students. They are all facing a daunting uphill battle, and unfortunately many of them will not make it to the top. But for Bahati, the boy whose name means “Luck,” there is a unique drive and unparalleled resolution to receive his education. Thoughts and prayers for Bahati, as he continues his education in a community that is continually trying to prevent him from learning…

“Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” Romans 12:2

I'm going to miss him!