Just call me Mr. Maganga
The school bell rang and all of Lighthouse English Medium schoolchildren ran into line.
I sat in the car until they had completed the Tanzanian National Anthem, and the Assembly. When all the children where in their respective classes, I then started the car engine and the day watchman opened the two large gates for me to pass through. With a wave to him I cautiously moved out onto the dirt road…. . As I turned the car into the direction I was going I saw, coming down the middle of the dirt road, a man who looked as if he was in a pretty hopeless
situation. His hair was long instead of the usual bald head, that
the majority of Tanzania men preferred, his shirt was open to the
waist exposing his torso, and his trousers, what was left of them,
was just covering the essential parts. He wore no shoes, not even
the shower-malapas, or Masai shoes made out of car tyres.
For some unknown reason, I stopped the car, and watched this
man come towards me. I sensed in my spirit, that I had to go
and offer help to this obviously destitute man. I opened the car
door, and stepped out. I walked towards the approaching man,
not knowing what response I would receive.
“Jambo” I said in Kiswahili “can I help you? Would you like to come and live in my home?” He mutterer something and looked to the floor. I took his arm and together we walked slowly to the 10’ gates of Lighthouse Children’s Home. I gently knocked on the gate, and the peephole was opened, and then a quick shuffle to find the key to open the gate.
We were let into the compound and we moved over to our waiting area, as I sat the man down, I asked him if he had eaten. “No” he replied ‘not for day’s. I then asked, a kitchen staff member to prepare some chai (tea) and bread and give to the man whilst I went to find my trusted mama Coupa who had worked with me for over ten years. “Coupa” will you go and interview that guy over there, she looked to the waiting area where I was pointing and said “mama” in a tone of complete exasperation, as to what I was going to do next. And she wanted to know why had I brought this obvious vagrant into the children’s home?
“Coupa” just look at his huge stomach and the state of his clothes, he is really malnourished and sick, if he has no one to care for him ask him if he would like to go and live at the dwelling of the elderly.
She walked over to him, and shook his hand. And listened intently to what he was saying. After about 10 minutes, she returned to where I was grabbing a quick cup of tea.
He is from the Simanjiro area, all of his family has either died or he has lost contact with them, there is no one to help him.
And yes, he would very much like to live at the men’s home, but before you take him - let him have a shower, and I’ll get some clean clothes for him out of the store. Coupa really does do a great job of changing rags to riches, as I have seen her do so many times before with the street children, they may arrive at LIA in a dishevelled state but a shower, some oil on there faces, a haircut if necessary, and after a good meal, they start to feel safe and secure, and certainly nicer to be close to.
Three days after this man was taken to Light in Africa’s dwelling of the elderly, Pastor Frank was called out late at night on an emergency call, Maganga was bleeding heavily. His rectum had collapsed. He was rushed to our local training hospital in Moshi, where he lost so much blood, the doctor’s and nurses had to tip him upside down to allow the blood to rush to his head to enable them to get an IV in……….due to the malnutrition, his other organs were also in a serious state.
Maganga made an amazing recovery, and re-cooperated at our home. After a month’s convalescence, he asked Pastor Frank if he could work on the farm as he felt God had given him another chance of life, and that he was now going to devote his life to the work of God. He joined a local church, and today he has come to ask me if I would give him a bed as he has found a lady who he would like to marry and share the remainder of his life with, we congratulated him and agreed we would offer help in furnishing a new home for him and his future wife. One thing he had insisted after he had made this amazing recovery was that no-one should ever refer to him again as Maganga; his name was now to be Mister Maganga…..
I sat in the car until they had completed the Tanzanian National Anthem, and the Assembly. When all the children where in their respective classes, I then started the car engine and the day watchman opened the two large gates for me to pass through. With a wave to him I cautiously moved out onto the dirt road…. . As I turned the car into the direction I was going I saw, coming down the middle of the dirt road, a man who looked as if he was in a pretty hopeless
situation. His hair was long instead of the usual bald head, that
the majority of Tanzania men preferred, his shirt was open to the
waist exposing his torso, and his trousers, what was left of them,
was just covering the essential parts. He wore no shoes, not even
the shower-malapas, or Masai shoes made out of car tyres.
For some unknown reason, I stopped the car, and watched this
man come towards me. I sensed in my spirit, that I had to go
and offer help to this obviously destitute man. I opened the car
door, and stepped out. I walked towards the approaching man,
not knowing what response I would receive.
“Jambo” I said in Kiswahili “can I help you? Would you like to come and live in my home?” He mutterer something and looked to the floor. I took his arm and together we walked slowly to the 10’ gates of Lighthouse Children’s Home. I gently knocked on the gate, and the peephole was opened, and then a quick shuffle to find the key to open the gate.
We were let into the compound and we moved over to our waiting area, as I sat the man down, I asked him if he had eaten. “No” he replied ‘not for day’s. I then asked, a kitchen staff member to prepare some chai (tea) and bread and give to the man whilst I went to find my trusted mama Coupa who had worked with me for over ten years. “Coupa” will you go and interview that guy over there, she looked to the waiting area where I was pointing and said “mama” in a tone of complete exasperation, as to what I was going to do next. And she wanted to know why had I brought this obvious vagrant into the children’s home?
“Coupa” just look at his huge stomach and the state of his clothes, he is really malnourished and sick, if he has no one to care for him ask him if he would like to go and live at the dwelling of the elderly.
She walked over to him, and shook his hand. And listened intently to what he was saying. After about 10 minutes, she returned to where I was grabbing a quick cup of tea.
He is from the Simanjiro area, all of his family has either died or he has lost contact with them, there is no one to help him.
And yes, he would very much like to live at the men’s home, but before you take him - let him have a shower, and I’ll get some clean clothes for him out of the store. Coupa really does do a great job of changing rags to riches, as I have seen her do so many times before with the street children, they may arrive at LIA in a dishevelled state but a shower, some oil on there faces, a haircut if necessary, and after a good meal, they start to feel safe and secure, and certainly nicer to be close to.
Three days after this man was taken to Light in Africa’s dwelling of the elderly, Pastor Frank was called out late at night on an emergency call, Maganga was bleeding heavily. His rectum had collapsed. He was rushed to our local training hospital in Moshi, where he lost so much blood, the doctor’s and nurses had to tip him upside down to allow the blood to rush to his head to enable them to get an IV in……….due to the malnutrition, his other organs were also in a serious state.
Maganga made an amazing recovery, and re-cooperated at our home. After a month’s convalescence, he asked Pastor Frank if he could work on the farm as he felt God had given him another chance of life, and that he was now going to devote his life to the work of God. He joined a local church, and today he has come to ask me if I would give him a bed as he has found a lady who he would like to marry and share the remainder of his life with, we congratulated him and agreed we would offer help in furnishing a new home for him and his future wife. One thing he had insisted after he had made this amazing recovery was that no-one should ever refer to him again as Maganga; his name was now to be Mister Maganga…..
