A poor school boy handed over a new house after being a breadwinner for his family that suffered for long

Kilimanjaro. Just days after The Citizen published the story of 14-year-old James Ephraim on August 18, 2024, about his struggle for looking after his family in the remote village of Kwalakamu in Rombo District, Kilimanjaro Region, now Ephraim has a reason to smile after he was handed over a modern home on Friday, August 30, 2024.

The house was donated by a charity organisation that helps people living in difficult conditions.

Ephraim, a Standard Six pupil at Mamonjo Primary School in the district, had to focus on his family's survival instead of his education.

After his father passed away in 2011 and his older sister had left the family because of their harsh living conditions, the young boy became a breadwinner.

To support his family, Ephraim had to move around the village begging for food and money, sometimes facing insults.

His family had neither beds nor mattresses, so they would sleep on clothes laid on the floor.

Since he had to provide for his family, the poor boy would at times not attend school.

Despite the challenges, James has been doing well in school, consistently ranking among the top three pupils in his class.

During the house's opening ceremony, the Rombo MP, who doubles as the minister for Education, Science, and Technology, Prof Adolf Mkenda, thanked the Glads Welfare Organisation and the teachers at James's school for bringing his situation to light.

"I would like to commend the teachers who noticed James's absence from school and visited his home to understand the challenges he was facing. When they realised he was in need of help, they contributed Sh5,000 from their own salaries to assist him," said Prof Mkenda.

He added that what the teachers did was extraordinary and should be emulated by others, noting that this problem existed in many parts of the country.

"This is not something ordinary. What these teachers did goes beyond their duties; they dug into their pockets to help him.

“I thank them a lot, and I would also like to commend the Glads Welfare Organisation for finding and supporting James and his family," Prof Mkenda said.

Speaking during the handover of the house, Ms Glady Lyamuya, the Director of the Glads Welfare Organisation, said after she had received a call from his teachers, she visited Ephraim’s family, and she was moved by their poor living conditions.

She explained that she decided to stay with them and give them support as they were living in such dire conditions as it looked like they were living outside.

"When I got the call about James and his family and saw their situation as a parent, I couldn't just leave. I've been with this family since the first day, overseeing the house’s construction and making sure they have everything they need. This family has gone through very tough times, but by God's grace, they will move into this new house," Lyamuya said.

She mentioned that since her organisation started operations, they had managed to build nine houses, including three in Kilimanjaro Region, to support the families in need.

During the blessings of the new house, Father Amedeus Mtui, the Usseri Parish priest, urged the community to continue showing love and solidarity, supporting each other whenever someone faced difficulties.