March 29, 2011
I met an old man this morning, the father of one of the girls TEMBO Trust is sponsoring. He had come to ask about sponsorship for his daughter who had failed her Form IV Leaving Exams. He had come to the office before I arrived requesting the same thing – could she go to a private school?
TEMBO staff had explained that our policy does not allow this for a number of reasons. One is cost – private schools are so much more expensive than government schools and the quality of education is not necessarily better. This is not to say that private schools are not good; it’s just that some of them are run for profit and you have to be very careful when choosing. Another good reason for this policy is that TEMBO wants the girls to know they have options. Everyone is not capable of achieving in a purely academic stream. Following the same program a second time will not necessarily ensure success. Sometimes a vocational stream of education is worth exploring and we are encouraging this more and more.
Now the father asked if his daughter could take a computer program that would help prepare her to work in an office. This seemed like a good idea. We told him we’d check out colleges to see which would be a good choice, since even here there can be problems. A young woman who we know in the village completed a two year computer course a few months ago has still been unable to get a certificate despite repeated attempts.
I was interested to meet this man for another reason. He, like so many other people in the village, has been to visit the Babu of Loliondo. He is the retired pastor who appears to be instrumental in providing people with better health, and even curing serious illneses. He is being visited by doctors and even very high officials in the government. The Babu (grandfather, respectful term for an elder) uses a special herb found in the forest that is made into a drink. Long lines of people from Tanzania and beyond wait to receive this “cup”. There is lots of information on the internet about the healing that is happening (or not, depending on what you believe) in Loliondo.
TEMBO Trust staff member, Mary, explained that this man has suffered from a severe debilitating asthma for many years, since 1984, the man explained. He needed sticks to walk because he was bent over from weakness or an inability to breathe properly. He took injections of medicine each day since a puffer did not help. Yet here he sat, full of life and breathing quite easily. He no longer needed sticks to walk.
This man is not the only person I met who feels they have been healed of a serious medical condition, good friends of TEMBO Trust in Longido included. People are anxious to share their stories. I find myself asking, why not, and who am I to judge what a miracle is?
I met another Form IV Leaver today who passed her exams and just found out she will be sponsored by TEMBO Trust to go to Form Five (the equivalent of Grade 12). When I congratulated her she said, “It’s a miracle!” Interesting choice of words that took me back to yesterday’s meeting with the man who had asthma.
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Today it has been raining all afternoon - the first really good soaking since I have been in Longido. Fortunatus, the gardener at the guesthouse, will be able to plant tree seedlings he has grown into very moist earth.