One of the things that most surprises visitors to our country is how passionate so many people are about the lottery. We all know someone who, every Christmas, hopes a winning ticket will solve all their problems. I won’t pretend I wouldn’t love a few million to fall into my lap, too. Who wouldn’t? Yet I have always thought that the real lottery jackpot is being born in a country where opportunities are within reach, rather than in one where they are not. The door may be harder or easier to open, but at least some people can reach it.
Some experiences mark you for life while confirming something you have always believed. Last November I was incredibly fortunate to have one of those experiences.
Like Russian nesting dolls, we all have layers reflecting different sides of ourselves. Someone may seem one way on the surface, yet digging deeper can reveal extraordinary things. Céline Mainge appeared to be “just” the founder of Bara-ka, a marketplace for vintage furniture (https://bara-ka.com). But inside another of her layers was a project I fell in love with the moment I heard about it: travelling to Tanzania with suitcases full of second-hand books to distribute among schools. Why? Years ago she met Kanene, a guide who had taught himself seven languages using books left behind by tourists. Incredible! For years he has set aside some of his tips to buy books for schools. He knows that education and languages can help people build a present and a future. Until just six weeks before Céline’s departure, my small contribution was helping publicise the fundraising and collect books. But life sometimes has plans of its own: through a series of circumstances, something I had dreamed of for years suddenly became possible when Céline invited me to go with her.
Despite a few “difficulties” that seemed determined to derail Céline’s project, and after having to repeat several times for visa reasons that we “were not going to visit schools”, we finally reached Arusha and entered the country with our suitcases intact, full of English, French and Spanish books and some school supplies. We also had help from Kanene, Céline’s friend, and his four children, who served as the supposed “recipients” of the suitcases.
We visited more than seven schools in just three days. Eyes widened when books appeared from our bags; children beamed as they held them; others clung to our legs asking us to tell the same story again and again. They turned each page with enormous care, as though afraid it might tear. They gazed intently at the pictures, even when they could not understand the words, and filled the air with songs and gratitude. Their optimism and hunger for learning were extraordinary, especially when so many people with countless opportunities do not share that enthusiasm.
One morning, on our way to a school, we met three young men heading to their learning centre. It resembled a vocational training centre. The young men, who must have been over eighteen, told us they met whenever possible to practise French together. How could they do that when none of them spoke French? With two magical ingredients: determination and the desire to learn. We told them we had some French books, but they were children’s books. “So what?” was their reply.
What started as several days of delivering books and supplies went further: it grew into the creation of a small “library” where anyone who wants to learn can come and do so with effort, determination and enthusiasm.
I could fill page after page with anecdotes, experiences and moving moments, but now it is time to say thank you. Thank you to everyone who welcomed us wholeheartedly; to those who offered us everything they had, and even things they did not have; to Kanene and his whole family; and to the lodge staff. Thank you to Céline Maingé, whom I admire for her many talents, her strength, her perseverance and the peace and optimism she inspires. Thank you, Céline, for giving me the chance to share this experience with you. Above all, thank you to all the children and young people we met, whose determination to learn and work towards their present and future was so inspiring.
