Meeting Neema and Faudhia

The Massong family, Patrick and Rehema, and their two children, Maria and Peter, have embodied the true spirit of African hospitality. I've spent two wonderful days in their home, just outside the town of Singida. Rehema has made sure that I am well fed (maybe a little too well fed!), well rested, and always happy. I spent much of today visiting the home of Neema and Faudhia. Both girls live on the outskirts of Singida in the most basic of homes imaginable. Mud bricks stacked less than 5 feet high form the walls and layered sticks sealed with mud and cow dung formed a roof. One room for sleeping, one room for cooking. And that's it. Only 2 small holes allow light into home's dark interior. The walls are caked in black soot from years of charcoal and wood fires used for cooking and heating the home. Neema's family has 7 children, Fauhdia's 6. Seeing their living condition, really truly seeing it and experiencing it, not just seeing it in a picture or reading about the poverty stricken lives of Africans, sparked deep seeded inspiration to do everything in my power to lift these families from the only reality they have ever known. Neema's father is a night watchman and is the sole provider for the family with an income of less than $50 per month. Fauhdia's family are farmers and live solely on the crops and cattle they produce. During my visit with each of the families, through Mr. Massong as my translator, I explained the Athletic Scholarship Program and what the future could hold for their daughters. I emphasized that through determination, hard work, and dedication that their daughters could achieve anything. The parents, with deep gratitude in their watery eyes, thanked me for bringing such blessings into their lives. Feeling the sincerity in the grasp of their hands and in their words, I too was moved to tears. Something so basic, but utterly life changing. I am more determined than ever to see this program succeed.