Still More Heroes and Heroines

    I often think of the memorable thing that Jack, my old friend from the Elephant Valley Project in Cambodia and Thailand, said:  "I came for the animals, but I stayed for the people."
    Like Jack, I travel abroad ostensibly to see, up-close, and personal, the animals I've only read about and watched documentaries about.  For some unknown reason, I crave physical contact with animals, and some of my most vivid and significant memories will always be the feel of an elephant's trunk exploring my foot, the feeling of a giraffe's neck curled around my shoulders, or, even further back, the feel of a ticklish, squirmy otter in my arms.
     And yet, though that was my "aim," what winds up being perhaps even a more memorable experience are the people I meet along the way.  And of those people, Mrs. Matsika from Zimbabwe has to be one of the most memorable.

Mr. and Mrs. Matsika and one of their grandchildren

      Mrs. Matsika is the deputy headmistress of Numwa Secondary School, which is located right on the edge of Imire's game park.  I met her as part of my first visit to Imire, and from the very first, I thought "I am never going to meet anyone more like Mother Theresa in my lifetime."  She radiates goodness, empathy, dedication, and well . . . . . love . . .  more than anyone I've ever met.
    She is absolutely dedicated to the well-being of the students at the school, not only in their formal education, but in their general well-being.  She is a part of the ladies' sewing club, whose mission it is to make low-cost uniforms for students who otherwise can't afford them, to provide a nutritious snack to all the students during their examinations and as often during the year as possible, and to provide support and guidance to current and past students.
    She loves her country and its culture and customs, and she is actively engaged in the struggle to preserve them.  Each Thursday night, she travels to the volunteer house at Imire, cooks a traditional Shona meal there, and fills out the evening telling the volunteers about Shona traditions, language, music, and food.  If one listens to her closely, I believe they will come away from Zimbabwe with a far greater understanding of its people than they otherwise would.

    A couple of years ago, she told me about one of her students who 
needed a little help.  While she is a very proud person and did not want to appear to be soliciting donations, she eventually let me know that this young man, who had no parents, had tremendous potential and dedication for a university career, but NO means to get there.  With her guidance, we were able to give him a hand.  This young man is now flourishing at university in Zimbabwe, obtaining all A's in last semester's grade reports, and setting Zimbabwe-wide records in track.  
    I'm so lucky to have had the privilege to get to know these people. 


                                         Here is our young friend, attired in a 
                                         suit donated by a generous friend!