African Heroes: stories of brave badasses

Little brother becomes dreaded “enfant de la rue”

It’s been too long since I updated on the kid’s life. He is not a kid anymore, for one thing. He’s 19. I can hardly believe the little urchin I once knew is a responsible young man — the head of a household and guardian of three younger children! There’s been a lot of news in the last few months. Congo had its elections. By reliable accounts, they were rigged. The kid and his compatriots worried about a civil war. Kabila “won” again, although his opponent, Tshisekedi, has also declared himself the President and inaugurated himself. But there is not yet a civil war. We’ll keep an eye on that. It does look pretty certain that man-child Kabila will have another term to play video games and mistake funds for Congo’s schools, army, police, and healthcare for his allowance.

Our hero, the kid, had his house washed away in a rainstorm. He and his siblings scattered to friends houses. During this period I had nightmares that he got sick from exposure and I worried that his little sister would be sexually molested by opportunistic men in the place they were crashing. I warned the kid that his little brothers could become street urchins and bandits now that they were homeless. And I quickly managed to persuade him that the solution was not to rebuild his house but to rent another one. Within twelve hours of that conversation, he had found a house to rent in the same neighborhood for $30 a month, begged $50 from a friend to pay part of the deposit, and installed himself and his two brothers and sister. Good work!

But alas, the homeless weeks took their toll on the kid’s smallest brother, a 13-year-old who used to be his favorite sibling. He started hanging out on the street with runaways, smoking and drinking. Once the kid rented the house, the little guy ran away to be with his friends on the street. He stopped going to school and became, in the kid’s words, a bandit. In quick and decisive action, the kid shipped him off to Granny’s house on the island of Idjwi. He has been living there for two weeks now, and returned to school. Apparently there are no runaway street children in Idjwi, and little brother thanks big brother for “saving him.”

Big brother is working hard in school so that he may pass exams to enter University in two years. As a result, he has delegated the gasoline sales business to his 16-year-old brother, a former bandit who is now a churchgoing student and apparently, the family breadwinner.

Little sister, whom I have so worried about — I can call her Cinderella after her evil aunt adopted her and made her toil away day and night without sending her to school — is thriving in school now that she lives with her older brothers and has her tuition paid by generous foreigners. She is in the top of her class, she sings, she recites poems, and she smiles all the time. Her older brother is very proud.

And to wrap this up, the kid is on Facebook. He just sent me a friend request. As an aspiring college man, he elected to fill in his education information with “pas encore” — not yet.

And that’s a wrap.

Back to School: Please Help

“La rentree scholaire” or the return to school is happening, which means the kid in Congo and his little sister need $51 and $13 respectively to pay for their public school. If you are a fan of the amazing kid or want to help an 8 year old girl who has never been sent to school because she is a girl, please click here and donate to my Paypal page. I will send the money to Congo. Click here to learn about why public school costs money in Congo and other African countries.

Congolese Teen Finishes “Heartbreaking Work,” Writes His Own

As I said earlier, I sent the kid in Congo, now a man by his own account, David Eggers’ memoir, “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius,” since the two have a common experience. David’s parents died and he raised his little brother, and so goes the Congolese experience, only there are two brothers and now a sister who has been abused and needs help. The kid loves to read and loves when I give him homework assignments, and he’s always interested in learning how people do things elsewhere. He wrote his essay about the book in June, but there’s no postal service in Congo, so we were stumped for a while about how he could get it to me so I can get it to David Eggers, the man himself. Finally the kid was so resourceful as to ask a humanitarian program manager to use her computer so he could type and email his handwritten essay to me. Here it is.

ENGLISH

Thoughts on the life of David Eggers

Unable to count on members of his family, he didn’t want to count on God to save him nor on anyone else. He wanted to find the means to save himself and his little brother. I think David Eggers is a decisive man. He decided to earn his living; unfortunately he was in the position of having to raise himself and his little brother.

The event that I find very interesting is that David Eggers would do anything to earn a living, and he ended up surviving. He didn’t want to count on God. He wanted only to get by on his own force and his own means. He didn’t want to scatter, leaving his brother, but he wanted to stay with his brother, live with him, and share his suffering with him.

Between myself and David Eggers there are some similarities. Me also, I live with my little brothers very far from town in a little house and it’s me who hustles to find something to eat and a means to pay for my brothers’ school fees. It’s not easy to get by, I force myself to do anything to raise my brothers.

Truly, to take care of myself is very difficult. I do all of this because I love my brothers and I don’t want to loose them to the streets. I say this because in our country the government doesn’t take care of orphans; the result is that orphans lack the opportunity to go to school, they are hungry and homeless. It’s for this reason that orphans live on the street without a means to eat and are thieves. There have been times when they steal things from people, get caught and killed. Others are taken to prison where they suffer. Truly, it is grave here, there are no orphanages, and the orphans suffer. 

 I remember when my parents died, I was sure I could count on my extended family. In the past, they had given us anything we needed, they even let us live on their land, they gave us food and clothes and other things. Only two months after my parents died, they left us like they didn’t know us. They told me they weren’t capable of taking care of [me and my siblings]. Since then, I decided not to count on my family. I left their house and returned to my parents’ empty house where I started to sell gas. With this gas I earned a living. It has been two years since I started to sell gas, and little by little I get by. In the past two years, my extended family has not come to visit us and myself, I decided also not to visit them. 

Since then I no longer want to fight with the rest of my family.                                    

FRENCH

                         Le pensées de la vie de David eggers et ceci sans qu’on sache il ne  voulait  compte sure le membre de sa famille  et il ne voulait pas compte

Tout a DIEU pour le sauver ou bien d’autre personne pour le sauver    sa pensées  il voudrait trouver  le moyen de se sauver et  de sauver se petit frère ,je trouver que David eggers  était un homme de décision ; IL avait décide de gagne sa vie ,malheureusement il a parvenir a se sauver  et se sauver ses petit  frère.

                    L’événement que je trouver très intéressant, et : David eggers a fait n’importe quoi pour

Pour gagne sa vie, et il a finir par ses sauver  et  il ne voulait pas compte tout a DIEU pou le sauver   sa pensées il voulait seulement se débrouille par sa propre force et sa propre moyen. Et il ne voulait pas  s éparpille avec ses frère  il voulait seulement  reste ensemble avec ses petit frère il encor il voudrait partager  sa souffrance avec ses frère. 

                    Entre mois et David eggers il ya une partit de similarités mois aussi je reste ensemble avec mes petits frère très loin de la ville dans une petite maison  et se moi qui se débrouille pour trouver quoi a manger et comment mes petit frère peut étudier, se ne pas facile de mes débrouille je mes force pour fait sa pour trouver comment mes petit frère peut parvenir a grandir. Vraiment pour 

Êtres responsable pour moi se très difficile  je fait tout ceci parce que je l’amour de mes petit frère je ne voulait pas le perde dans la rue. Je dis tout sa parce que  DANS nôtres pays le gouvernement ne s’occupe pas avec l’orpheline ; raison pour la quelle les orphelin manque de opportunité éducative et alimentaire et de logement. SE POUR Cela que les orphelin loger dans la rue pour manque quoi a faire  pour trouver  quoi a manger il vole le chose d’autrui ,il ya de moment quant il vole le chose d’autrui  on l’attrape et on le tue il ya les autre on les amène dans le prison et il souffrez la bas vraiment ici se grave ,il n’ya na pas des orphelinat pour les orphelin . les orphelin souffre

                    je mes rappelle quand mes parents son décède je faise confiance et je compte sur le membre de notre famille ,car il nous donne n’importe quoi :et nous avons commence a loger sur leur habitation ,il nous donne  de la nourriture des habit et d’autres ,après seulement é 2 mois plus tard ils nous ont laisse comme si il ne nous conne pas  il m’avait dit il ne son pas capable d’ être responsable de nous.   DEPUIS les jours là je dédise de ne plus compte sur le membre de ma famille      je quitte la bas avec mes petit  frère et retourne chez nous quand  j’été chez nous je commence a vende de pétrole ; avec cette pétrole que gagne de la vie Sa fait 2 ans que je vend le pétrole, petit a petit je gagne la vie   , depuis les jours las le membre Dema famille na déjà venue nous voir la ou nos habitons et mois aussi décide que je ne peux pas allé le voire   

               Depuis les jours las je ne voulais plus de dispute parmi le reste de ma famille                      

                

Pets: From Bushwick to Goma

Bonjour,
Comment va la lecture?
Moi, je suis tres triste. Mon chat est partie, je ne sais pas ou. Elle est tres cool, ma sole famille a New York. Voici un photo. J’espere qu’elle rentrait.
As tu des nouvelles de Goma?
Je vais envoyer de l’argent pour ton ecole ce semaine.
Ton amie,
Emily

***

salue EMILY

VRAIMENT votré chat est trés coule. je mes rappellé mon chien ici chez nous il ya déja qui manger de chien il sont manger mon chien donc il sont volé sa et manger. la lecture [of Dave Eggers’ “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius”] vas tres bien je compris comment le jeune de vaigtaine anneé comment ils sont ecoute l’emision capitale de M T V et comment ils sont parvenur de crire leur propre histoire et leur vie dans une semaine je peut parvenir a termine a lir. se trés coule Goma vas trés bien le chinois commence a construire le route.merci se ton ami XXX

English:

Hello,

How is the reading going?
Me, I am very sad. My cat left, I don’t don’t where. She is very cool, my only family in New York. I attach a photo. I hope she comes back.
Do you have any news from Goma?
I’m going to send money for your school this week.
Your friend,

Emily

***

Hello EMILY

Truly your cat is really cool. I remember my dog which I had here there are people who eat dogs they ate my dog they stole him and ate him. My reading [of Dave Eggers’ “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius”] goes very well I understand how the young people in their 20s listened to MTV and how they tried to write their own histories of their lives in one week I will be able to finish reading it. It’s cool in Goma the Chinese are starting to build roads. Thank you it’s your friend XX.

Congolese Teen begins “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius”

So thanks to several generous donors — Greg, Dan, and Mike — the kid’s school is paid for until the next semester, Whoohoo! He is very happy. He is also reading “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius” in French, which is about an American guy taking care of his little brother when their parents die, exactly what the kid is doing in Congo (he is taking care of two little brothers.) Here’s his latest email, expressing both his gratitude at having his school fees paid and commenting on the memoir by Dave Eggers, it is titled “merci vrement”:

English:
what luck I have, my GOD
you can’t imagine the joy that you give me
may God bless your friends. i continue to read the novel, i find plenty of advice for example; if one is an orphan, one must not remain forever like a little kid
therefore one must work in order to really move on.
i am already an adult i already know what’s right and wrong
THANK YOU i wish you good work.

French:
quelle chance mon DIEU
tu ne peut pas imagine la joie que tu me donne
que Dieu benisse vos ami .je continue a lire le roman,je trouver autant de conseilcmme si;si one orphelin il ne faut pas reste comme un petit enfant
donc il faudras travail pour bien oublier que vous ete orphelin.
je suis deja adulte je deja connu le mal et le bien.
MERCI je vous souhaite bon travail.

School Fees: Please Help

Unfortunately, in many African countries, students are charged tuition for public school. Their families can scarcely afford the cost. Please help by donating a small amount to pay for one promising boy’s tuition. Click here, and read his own interpretation of the events of his life.

Below is a note from him. I have been chronicling his life in Congo in this blog (see almost all entries for the past year). He’s an orphan. He takes care of his little brothers. He can’t afford his own school fees of $40 per term and is being threatened with expulsion. I spent a year with him in his town of Goma. He loves reading, learning, music, fixing cars, and observing people. He is writing me with this explanation below because I keep breaking his balls when he asks me for school fees.

salue Emily
J’eté vraiment heureux de cet roman que vous m’avez envoye.
Vous savez Emily ,l’argent que je trouve son trés peu je gagne par semaine ou moin 5 dolard avec cet argent retire 3dolard pour la nourriture et 2 dolard le garde pour le frais de mes petit frére. parce que la bas primair coute 5dolard par mois ca meme je force pour trouve 5 par semain. vrement Emily je ne pas de l’argent pour mes peyer moàis meme je ne pas d’autre moiyen de trove de l’argent.si je vous demande donc je ne pas je ne suis pas egoiste donc je suis clair.
merci. bon journée

English:

Saluting Emily
I was really happy about the novels you sent me.
You know Emily, the money I find is very little
I earn more or less 5 dollars per week with that money I save 3 for food and 2 for the school tuition of my little brothers
because their school costs 5 dollars per month
truly Emily, I don’t have the money to pay my own school tuition
I have no other way to get money. Therefore if I ask you for it, I am not being greedy, I am being honest
Thank you. have a nice day

A kind soul in Congo used to pay his school fees, but now the person has left the country. School costs $40 per semester. The money you give will go towards his salary as an intern, which he will use to pay for school. I’m currently seeking an unpaid internship for him with a human rights organization. (If you have an organization in Goma, and will consider hiring a 17-year-old stagaire, email me at emilymeehan [at] gmail [dot] com.)

There is no chance this guy can get a paying job, as I explained in a series for Slate.com last year. If you donate, I will email you a receipt from the Western Union transfer to Congo, and also provide you with information about his progress. I must keep his identity private to protect him from predatory adults who may be browsing the internet, you know. 

Thanks.

Dearest One
     Good afternoon to you, l deem it fit to contact you today based on your profile which l saw today in my private search, when l was looking for some one who l will in-trust my future living under his/her care for a better living of mine, please bear with me i will really like to have a good relationship with you, and i have a special reason why i decided to contact you, I decided to contact you based on the urgency of my situation here today.
My name is Ms.peacedoma . l am a single lady, of 24 years old, the daughter of Late Mr.Jude doma my late father was a successful business man during his day’s, it is sad for me to inform you that l lost my father in a motor accident on the 14th of November, 2006. during the time he was returning from a business trip fromdoma, Michigan to Ohio (USA), dear, after four months l lost my beloved father, his second wife killed my mother so that she and his children will inherit all what my father left for
all of us.
Meanwhile after my fathers second wife poisoned my mother to death, I wanted to escape to any where l can be accepted since she’s also after my own life and no where is safe for me to stay with her and his children, but she went and hid away my international passport and other valuable traveling documents which I’m suppose to travel with.
 luckily for me as God have his own plans for my life, she couldn’t discover where I kept my fathers file which contains important documents of his deposited money of US$9,700,000.00.which my father used my name to deposit with one of the leading financial bank.
So after then, since l have no where to run to, I decided to run to the refugee camp here, where l am today by the grace of God,presently seeking asylum under the United Nations High Commission for the Refugees and Now I am out seeking for your humble assistance for a long term business relationship between us in your Country which l would like you to invest my inherited money for me in any lucrative moving business in your country for my future living under your care and control.
However, l wish to stop here for now as l have no much time to explain all the details to you as l wish, but please dear, as soon as l hear from you soon showing your interest and acceptance to assist me as l really need your
help to me now and l am waiting so that l shall send you my pictures and forward all vital information’s to you for your confirmation to help me out.
Thanks,
Yours Sincerely
Ms.peacedoma

Letter to Congo: Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran

Today I came home to a heartwarming surprise — a package from Paris containing a novel and a letter to the kid in Congo from my friend Mahfoud. Since the kid needs reading material, I thought it would be nice for some other people to send him books they love, with letters. Maf had recommended this book to me just as I was leaving his house for the airport last January and so I asked him if he’d pick it up in Paris and send it over for the kid. Bravo darling Maf! The kid asks me every week for a novel and a dictionary. Here’s the text of Maf’s letter:

Charenton, le 18 décembre 2010

            Bonjour Emily, bonjour (the kid’s name here).

Tout d’abord, je me présente, surtout pour (the kid) car Emily me connait déjà.  Je m’appelle Mahfoud. Je vis tout près de Paris dans une ville qui s’appelle Charenton le port. J’ai 35 ans et je suis comptable. Je porte un prénom arabe car mes parents sont des immigres algériens.

Je vous salue donc tous les deux et vous adresse un livre que j’ai beaucoup aime : « Mr Ibrahim et les fleurs du coran » de Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt. Malgré son titre, il ne traite pas du tout de la religion.

J’ai beaucoup aime ce livre car il raconte l’histoire d’une rencontre entre deux personnages très différents, Momo un enfant mal dans sa peau et Mr Ibrahim, le vieil épicier de son quartier. Ces deux-la vont accomplir un fabuleux voyage qui permettra au jeune Momo de reprendre confiance en lui et de s’épanouir. Je trouve que c’est une très belle histoire car elle nous transmet un message de générosité, d’ouverture et d’espoir. C’est pourquoi je vous le recommande et j’espéré que vous aussi, vous prendrez plaisir a le lire.

Je profite également de l’occasion pour vous adresser mes meilleurs vœux pour ces fêtes de fin d’année. Je vous embrasse bien forte.

Mahfoud.

English:

First of all, let me introduce myself, especially to [the kid] because Emily knows me already. My name is Mahfoud. I live right near Paris in a city called Charenton the port. I am 35 and I’m an accountant. I have an Arab first name because my parents are Algerian immigrants.

I salute you both then and I send a book I really loved: “Mr. Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran,” by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt. Despite its title, the book doesn’t deal with religion at all. I really loved the book because it told a story of a meeting between two very different characters, Momo, a child feeling uneasy in his own skin and Mr. Ibrahim, the old grocer in his neighborhood. The two go on to accomplish a fabulous voyage that allows young Momo to find confidence in himself and flourish. I find it a beautiful story because it transmits a message of generosity, openness, and hope. That’s why I recommend it to you and I hope that you will also find pleasure in reading it.

I take this occasion to send you my best wishes for the holidays at the end of the year. I send a strong hug.

Mahfoud.