Zeke - Update 7: Debrief Blog 1

Journal prompt: What is one lesson I’ve learned from my East African friends that I will never forget?

A few days ago at the Lodge I got to hear from Joash his life story. Joash is a SLAM leader and is the executive assistant to Maurice. He moved to the city when he was in primary school so his mom could find work. His father died when he was a young boy and from then on it was just him, his sister, and his mom. His mom couldn’t pay for him to attend school and sometimes couldn’t pay for food as well, so Joash had to drop out of school the year he would’ve gone into high school. Instead of just accepting that he couldn’t learn, he would ask his friends for the work that was being taught in school and he would study it. 

He would work in the day and study at night. He went in during exam days and he passed his classes every time. Because he was still going to exams, they charged him and he incurred debt which he is still paying off to this day. I was just so impressed by his commitment to his education and how he let nothing stop him from learning. He had to work to pay for school for many years and I don’t want to ever take my education for granted.