17/03/2026
The first time I ever took that long boda boda ride, I almost turned back. I remember holding tightly and thinking, “Is this really how I’m going to get there every week?”But then I remembered the children.So I kept going.
By the time we reached the village, my body was tired, and honestly I wasn’t feeling very strong.Sometimes, all it takes is showing up.
We sat together in one of their biggest classrooms . There were no fancy chairs, no perfect setup just children sitting close, waiting, watching, listening. Istarted by asking a simple question.
“Who are you?”
At first, they gave the answers they had learned from life.
“I am poor.”
“I am from here.”
“I am just… me.”
Some of the children avoided eye contact when they spoke.
And I felt it deeply.
Because if I’m honest, I’ve had moments like that too moments where I forgot who I was beyond my circumstances.
So I didn’t teach them like a perfect teacher.
I spoke to them like someone who understands.
I told them, “You are more than what you see. More than what people say. You are important. You are loved. Your life has meaning.”
At first, they were quiet.
I started to notice change
You could see the shift. Like a small light turning on inside them.
And in that moment, all the hills, all the valleys, all the long, uncomfortable boda boda rides made sense.
Not because it was easy.
But because it was worth it.
As I climbed back onto the boda boda that evening, my body was even more tired than before. The ride home felt longer. The hills didn’t get any smaller.
But my heart felt full.
Because this isn’t just about traveling distance.
It’s about reaching hearts.
And maybe you’ve never ridden through hills on a boda boda. Maybe your roads look completely different.
But the truth is the same everywhere in the world—even in the West, even in busy cities, even in comfortable homes:
Children are still asking, “Who am I?”
And sometimes, the most powerful answer doesn’t come from a stage or a screen.
It comes from someone showing up, sitting down, and reminding them:
“You matter