I'm not really asking for much in this post: just to read this and spare a thought for someone you've never met, and millions of others in similar situations around the world.
Titusy is a young man I got to know very well last year in Tanzania. My village of Ihalimba was next to his home village of Vikula, where Getruda and Belinda were the volunteers. From the moment the volunteers arrived in his village, Titusy was there asking them questions, keen to learn and to help them work.
In each of our villages, after a while, we set up CAGs (Community Action Groups) to work with. We got together local youth and women who were interested and passed to them our knowledge about the issues. We showed them how to use non-formal education to pass on this knowledge themselves so that they could continue the work after we left.
Unsurprisingly, when the Vikula CAG was set up (and even before then), he was their Golden Boy. When we volunteers all went on our June break for two weeks, we came back to find he had organised his own seminars with some of the local youth.
Titusy is someone who can remind me that it is worth the effort, that you really can make little changes for the better here and there, even if it's only to one person.
He was a very bright lad, but he had been kicked out of secondary school in his second year (of six years) for failing to pay his fees. Finishing secondary school in Tanzania is very rare, even getting to Form Four, which is when they take their O Levels. So, we offered to help Titusy finish school.
His old school would not take him back unless he agreed to change his name, which was very unusual and which Titusy refused to do. Eventually he found a technical college that would take him on and teach him a trade. Between four of us we helped to pay his remaining fees, which to us is very little sacrifice. His mother, for one, was delighted. I'm sorry that I didn't meet her personally.
I just heard some sad news about Titusy from friend who went back to the village. He became ill not long after starting his course and returned to the village to recuperate. The school then refused to take him back and would not refund his money.
He has set up a small business in his village but is struggling to work because he is sick. Rumours are going around that he has STIs after sleeping with a prostitute, but this is not true. My friends went with him to town so that he could be tested, but they do not know what is wrong with him.
He's a very bright and caring person who I've known only to be kind to others. But now he cannot complete his schooling and his future is uncertain.
Our concern has been quite rightly with those at home this week, but let's not forget that there's more than enough love to go around for everyone, wherever they are.
I only asked you to spare a thought, but if you feel like doing more, you could help a child through school. It doesn't cost much. The Luhimba Project ask for just £60 a year, or £5 a month to pay for fees, and the child's family will pay for their food.
One day I'll be harrassing you in similar fashion about The Hoja Project - hopefully we'll have "official" contact details for donating to the construction of the school soon. If you can't wait, of course, you can always email me.
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