Ernest ~ a man with a heart of gold and an infectious smile!

You have all heard me speak many times of our neighbour, Ernest! Well, let me remind you of this fine man and, please, read this to the end. It will bring tears to your eyes and prove to you that you really can change someone's life!

So, I met Ernest on my second trip to Africa. It was the day we purchased the acre of land for Karim Children Centre, back in 2009. I instantly fell in love with his smile and his desire to help me, when he had nothing. At that time, he and his family lived in a small hut, made of cow dung, metal and newspaper. When I hired the contractor to build the new home for Karim Centre, I insisted he hire our neighbour, Ernest, as he had no job. 

Each time I returned, which was every six months, Ernest was always waiting for me with that big smile and was the first one to greet me with "welcome home Mama." Each time he was eager to work and never, ever asked for a dime. Of course, I paid him but sometimes it was very difficult to get him to take my money. He would build things, landscape, pull weeds, paint, pour concrete.... whatever there was to do, he did it and did it with a smile. 

I remember when we were building the 'tire playground' and I needed 100 tires. I asked him where I could get 100 used tires. He jumped on his pedal bike and took off down the road, about 3 kilometres, and brought back two tires from the dump. "How are these, Mama!" Well... I just had to shake my head and smile. He was wearing them! He actually put them over his head so he could ride his bike back and they were covered in cow poop, pig poop and goat poop!  "Yes Ernest, they are perfect!" So, he went back and forth, 50 times, carrying 2 tires at a time so that I would have 100 tires to build a tire playground for the children. I asked "how much?" He said the dump wanted $1000 tsh per tire which is 75 cents... so I paid him double for his trouble! He cried... and so did I!
Everyone that visits, instantly falls in love with Ernest. His smile is so contagious and infectious, you just can't help yourself. 

Over the years, little did I know, that Ernest was saving the money that we were giving him to do odd jobs. He would buy food for his family but always saved enough to buy a block or two. Each block was $1000 shillings, which is about 75 cents. When I arrived, one visit, I found a stack of about 100 blocks. When he told me he was saving the money that I was giving him, so he could build his family a house, tears instantly filled my eyes. We instantly started a campaign... "Help Ernest build a house!" "A block is only 75 cents, how many blocks can you buy for Ernest?" Within a few weeks we had enough blocks to start his house. Over the next few months, friends and family helped Ernest buy the rest of the blocks, windows, doors, metal for the roof, concrete for the floors and soon Ernest had his new home! He was so proud because he and a friend put it up themselves! 

In 2013, our son Tom and his wife Jenn came to Tanzania for their honeymoon. They both fell in love with Ernest but Tom instantly had this bond with Ernest. He actually admitted he had a 'man crush' on Ernest! haha When we got home, Tom and Jenn wanted to help Ernest and his family so they decided to host a poker party at their home and the funds would go to purchase Ernest a 'BodaBoda', which is a motorbike used to taxi people. This would give Ernest a job to support his family. 

I returned to Tanzania in 2014 with the $1200 that was raised, to purchase the motorbike. That was $1.7 million tsh and that bought a brand spanking new 2014 Toyo Motorbike with insurance, registration, driving classes and a shiny new helmet! I still remember the day that I told Ernest to jump in the car, "we are going to town, I have a surprise for you." We jumped in and off to town we went. We pulled up to the motorbike dealership. He had no clue! He got out of the car, with his big grin and followed me inside. I said "what color do you like, red or black?" He looked at me and then instantly covered his face with his hands and started to cry. Behind his tears he said "I like black, Mama, I like black." So black it was and a red helmet he picked. He said this was the best day of his life! He also said he was going to sleep with his new motorbike and not his wife! haha He was one happy and proud man!

When I returned in February 2015, 10 months after we purchased the bodaboda, Ernest invited me to his home to meet his Mama. He introduced me and we had chai. "I have something to tell you Mama." A weird feeling came over me and my heart began to pump fast! Then Ernest began to tell me, in a mixture of swahili and english, "Mama, you have helped me so much over the years and you have taught me so much. You taught me, when you do good, good will come back in your life and when you are grateful, you will have more to be grateful for. In the last 10 months, since I have had my motorbike, I have been saving my money. I have saved enough money to purchase a small piece of land for my Mama and today I started to build her a house." I was speechless! I looked at his Mama and we both started to cry. She said  'Asante sana, Mama' thank you so much, for being a good Mama and teaching my son. ' Nakupenda sana,'  I love you so much."

I know now, it is possible to change someones's life, and the feeling is indescribable! Happiness is truly making others Happy! Ernest is truly grateful for everything he has in life. He told me he goes to bed each night and says 'Thank you!' You hope that when you do help someone that they are not only grateful but they learn to pass it on... like Ernest, the man with a heart of gold and an infectious smile!



So, Thank you, to those of you who helped change Ernest's life in some way. Whether you purchased blocks or a window for his home, paid for his children to go to school, helped with the purchase of his motorbike, bought him food or water, or you simply just sat and laughed with him. Whatever it was, big or small, he is truly grateful to each and everyone of you!


Mama Linda