Benard

Benard

One of the most difficult qualities a person can obtain is selflessness. I believe that it is not something someone can be born with, but something someone must learn. Yesterday, I had the privilege of meeting Benard’s inspiring and selfless family.

           Benard is a boy from Class IV. At first glance, he seems like any other student at LOAMO- happy, and ready to learn. Maria, the founder of LOAMO, told Lisa Marie, AJ, Evan, Keelin, and I to go and visit Benard’s home. Benard had told Maria that he did not have parents, but when Lisa Marie asked he said he did. This is why after school ended, we took Benard and drove across Arusha to his home. Once we were outside of the gate, Benard told us that his mother didn’t actually know that we were coming to visit. While we were waiting, I was pondering all the possible circumstances Benard could be living in. The bottom line is that none of us knew what to expect.

           Once we were welcomed inside the gate we saw an actual house, which was surprising, because most people in Tanzania live in small villages or conjoined pods. We all walked into Benard’s home and sat in the family room. A custom in Tanzania is for the host to make the visitors tea or a meal, so his mother prepared some chai tea for us. After drinking tea and introducing ourselves, we started to ask about Benard’s story. Several years ago, Benard was working at a school outside of Arusha while living with his aunt. His mother was not able to take proper care of him, and his father sadly passed away. While working at the school, a teacher named Richard spotted Benard. Each day he watched him and saw Benard’s potential. Richard decided to meet with Benard’s aunt. His aunt decided to let Benard move to Arusha and live with Richard and his wife. Benard now refers to them as “mother” and “father” (hence our confusion at the school). Richard’s wife taught Benard how to cook, clean, and milk all of the cows. Richard then talked to Maria and came up with an arrangement to let Benard become a student at LOAMO. Now, he is at the top of his class. Each day, I correct his math homework and he is one of the only students who gets every single math question right. Benard is extremely smart, and it is very obvious in the classroom. Every morning Benard wakes up and does all the cooking and milks their 6 cows, all before he catches the bus to school.

            This made me consider the number of 12 year olds I know who are so hard working and determined. My answer is: none. Benard came from nothing, and he was given a chance, and now is making the best of everything he has. Benard and Richard truly inspire me. When Richard took Benard into his care, he did not ask for money or anything in return. He simply, out of the kindness in his heart, provided and still provides an education, food, and a home for Benard. That, to me, is the strongest act of selflessness I have witnessed. It was so inspiring to realize that Benard came from having very little education to being at the top of his class in math, and everyday at LOAMO he has the biggest smile on his face. This made me realize that there is a much bigger story behind each of the student’s smiles.

           Before leaving Benard’s home, Richard said something to us: “Success is not about what you can gain, it is about what you can give.” To hear that from someone who lives so simply and still opened his home to another child is undoubtedly the most inspiring and selfless act I have ever witnessed, and, in the future, I will try to live by Richard’s selflessness and Benard’s determination.