Everyone who knows our family knows that we are absolutely crazy about Spanish soccer - La Liga! We have one lone Real Madrid fan in the family but the rest of us are 100% crazy about FC Barcelona. When I went to Kenya I had no idea that a Real Madrid shirt would have an influence on several lives!

During one of our first visits to a school I noticed a young teacher wearing a Real Madrid shirt. I walked by him and made some joking, negative remark about his shirt. Then I remembered that he might not even know who Real Madrid was since in Kenya you see people in a variety of shirts with things like "Glenwood High Cheerleading" or "West Side Baseball."  Later in the day I took a moment to talk with him. As it turns out he is a HUGE Real Madrid fan and he has an intense dislike for Barcelona. We joked about that for a few minutes and continued our 'debate' on the drive home as we talked for almost an hour about the two teams. Naturally he thinks that Madrid is the best team in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo the best player, Jose Mourinho the best coach....and on and on. I feel just the opposite. Of course Barca is the best team in the world, Leo Messi the best player, Pep Guardiola the best coach....we laughed and argued and went through every player on both teams ranking each one! I think the American women I was with, as well as the African men, were totally shocked that this old American 'Mama' knew so much about European Football! From that day on every time I saw this young man, Tsuma Jira, he had a question for me about football. "You don't really think Messi will win the award as the best player in the world a 4th time do you?" "Of course I do!!!" It was a fun diversion from the normal routine.

As I talked to Joseph, the Kenya Keys Director in Kenya, I learned more about Tsuma. He graduated from Taru Secondary last December without any assistance from Kenya Keys. His marks on the exams as he finished qualified him to attend a college or university but his family simply had no way to pay his fees. In order to keep his mind sharp he was volunteering at the Primary school everyday. During the weeks that Joseph, the head teacher, was working with Kenya Keys, Tsuma was teaching class 8 for him....all the class 8 subjects every day and he was doing this for no pay. Joseph hoped a way would be found for Kenya Keys to help him attend college. Up to this point the policy had been that only students who had been sponsored by Kenya Keys in secondary school could be in the program for post secondary work. Still Joseph hoped that something would happen so that Tsuma could get his longed for education.

When Dr. Liz, the other Mama who was there with me, taught a class about the skeleton to the 8th graders at his school, Tsuma insisted that all the bones be given the correct name. It was not a thigh bone, it was a femur! We weren't surprised to learn that he hoped to do something in the medical field. I was impressed with him and of course, there was still that Spanish soccer connection!  Tsuma invited us to come to his home after church on Sunday and I started thinking of a way to make his college dream a reality.  Surely it had to be more than a coincidence that he happened to wear a Real Madrid shirt on the day I visited his school and that of all the American women that might have gone with Kenya Keys there would be one who had an interest in Spanish soccer. The miracle continued as all the fates aligned just right and a sponsor came forward! And I got to be the one to tell him this life altering news!

As we walked home with him after mass, I found out some other things about this rather remarkable young man and his family. He is the oldest of 8 children. His father is completely illiterate and his mother only went to 8th grade. His home is a mud hut and they have 'one small chicken.'  When I asked him how his father paid his secondary school fees he said, "My father did odd jobs at Taru Secondary School and also delivered their fire wood. He told the administration to keep his salary to pay my fees and only give him the money that was left over. I also did little jobs when I could. Some days we didn't eat but my father wanted me to get an education."

Can you even imagine how the father must feel? He had sacrificed and worked so hard to get his son a secondary education (the first in their family) and now he is qualified for college and there is no way to help him. It isn't just a matter of working and saving, there truly is no money....plus there are 7 other children to be fed and hopefully educated.

With great joy I shared the news with Tsuma and his family that he would be going to college. As I stood there looking at the mud hut he called home while waiting for his mother to return from the water catchment bearing her jerry can of water on her head, I found myself overcome with joy as my eyes filled with tears. Again Tsuma assured me that he would go to college and get an education but he would return and help all his younger brothers and sisters achieve the same dream. When I told him that maybe he could play some soccer at college his immediate response, "Only after my studies are done."I look forward to keeping up with my friend Tsuma and hearing of his educational successes.....now if I could only get him to cheer for the right soccer team!