Unexpected change

Guilia and the crew

On Wednesday, 16 January 2013 during lunch, we gathered at Nankhombe house (volunteer house) to bid farewell to Giulia Bonfanti who leaves today 17 January for Italy. Among the guests at table were the once street kids under Tigawane Project of Andiamo Youth Cooperative Trust (AYCT).

During the speeches time, we were told that during her stay in Malawi, Giulia spent her time with these kids, teaching them lots of skills.

Eugenio Njoloma, speaking as the Deputy Coordinator of Tigawane Project, commended Giulia for her humility and willingness to work with the once street kids.

Giulia was supposed to leave in April but because of other unforeseen circumstances, she has changed her programme to leave today, 17 January. Go well Guilia! But wait a minute, when I am talking about unexpected change, I am not talking about Guilia’s change of programme but the “street kids” change of behaviour.

Not long time ago, yes before the Tigawane Project kick started by AYCT to take street kids away from the township of Balaka and give them a house, education… I knew Martin Masauko (the first recruit of the project). His deeds were older than his age. He moved with a knife, not for self-defence, but to attack for sure. Bars were his home.

Those who gave him money to buy a cigarette for them, regretted for doing so because he could vanish with the money. That was the Martin I knew and I thought was still, till this morning. Yes, I have a different new picture of him and his crew now.

This morning, before I entered the Andiamo Education Institutions (AEI) Office, I saw Martin together with his fellow “street kids” in their school uniforms, running towards where I was. When I saw them, I was thinking that maybe they wanted to ask for exercise books or something else.

They did not come to ask for anything but to give me what they had found. In Martin’s hand was a wallet.

“Sara, tatola chikwama ichi muli Ndalama mwina ndi za mwana wa sukulu,” (Sir, we have found this wallet and there is money inside and may be it belongs to one of the students here) Martin told me.

I counted the money. K5500 (€12)! Inside the wallet, I also found a bankcard that belongs to Lusayo Zimba, an Electrical Installation student.

When I went to Lusayo explaining to him that the “street kids” had found his lost wallet, he couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t too. Not too soon. Thanks to all people who support this project. It is working!

By Patrick Bwanali