Veronika

I met Veronika when I first started teaching at Himo. She is nine years old and in class 4. The day we met she was playing a game similar to hopscotch, jumping from square to square in a pattern drawn out on the dirt. She taught me the game and together without much language between us we played. Veronika was the first student to remember my name and that day when we pulled away from the school she came running to the car, "Kete, Kete, goodbye!"

We immediately became close friends. As there is an overload of students at Himo/Korona half the students come in the morning for a half-day and the others come in the afternoon. Depending on her schedule, Veronika started coming early or staying late just to stay by me keep me company and slowly through my broken Kiswahili and her budding English we got to know each other better.





Veronika has an older brother and a younger sister (Vanessa here in this picture), her father is a painter and her mother works odd jobs while taking care of Vanessa. On this day I met Veronika's mom for the first time. I expressed my love for her and my desire to become her sponsor (helping with school fees, etc.) We have opened a bank account for her mom so that I can safely send money to the family.





Here is Veronika's family (brother Francis is in class). Veronika has told her parents she wants to come home with me to America. I told her she must study and work hard and one day when she is older hopefully she can come for a visit. She is just one little girl but she represents so many and as a piece of my heart will always be left in Tanzania she will carry it for me. xo