Mr. Joseph Nguma – 1959 to 2015

Nathan and I have been in the US for less than 10 days and have already caught ourselves slipping too easily into some old comfort zones: enjoying crazy fast internet, loving that we can drink tap water, and driving even when walking is an option.  However, during this long trip away from our Tanzanian home we are sure to also remind ourselves each day how lucky we are for all that we have been given.  The recent death of my (Shannon) former colleague, Mr. Joseph Nguma, will forever remind us of our fortunes.

I worked with Mr. Nguma at Bajeviro Primary School for several months, where he served as the Headmaster (Principal) and a Standard 6 and 7 teacher.  To put this job in perspective for anyone who lives in the US, he was not only the head of a school with over 300 nursery and elementary school-aged children but he was also teaching English and Science daily.  His job was demanding, exhausting, and new challenges came to him constantly, from angry family members yelling at him to having to decide how to give medicine to the students with HIV.  But what anyone saw who met Mr. Nguma was a gentle, kind, patient man who loved his job, cared about the underserved students, and who never complained about things that could break other people down.

We learned Mr. Nguma was sick in February and being treated for ulcers.  There are still stigmas around being sick in Tanzania so I did not push anyone to learn more and I just hoped that he would get well and be back to leading the school soon.  Sadly, Mr. Nguma passed away on March 20th so never returned to the school where he was loved.  I feel certain that more could have been done for him and if he lived in the US he might still be here today.  Despite this, several people who spoke at his funeral thanked the hospital he stayed at for their care.  This reminded me yet again of the Tanzanian ability to forgive and accept despite the many injustices they face.

Many people say that when they travel to developing countries, they learn to appreciate their lives more and not take ‘little things’ for granted (shoes, clean water, medicine, books).  This is true for us too, but the longer we stay in Tanzania the more the disparity between these ‘little things’ begins to frustrate us because we cannot single-handedly fix the problems.  Death is too common in Tanzania, with a life expectancy of 61 years (up from 51 years in 2002).  This hit me especially hard when Mr. Nguma’s coffin was brought into the church packed with hundreds of people (including dozens of current and former students) and the cross which will serve as his tombstone was marked with his date of birth – 1959.  This is the same year my mom and mother-in-law were born.

Please think of Mr. Nguma and his family today and be thankful for all you have.