The Epic Journey - Part 2

So the teacher arrives, recognizes herself in the picture (“I’m second from the right looking through the window”) and provides a very important clue to the mystery. The children did indeed love to dance. And she even seemed to remember when they danced for these visitors. But one point is very important. The girls wore the kanga around their hips. The boys wore them draped over their shoulder. Suddenly we learn that we aren't to be searching for a young woman my age, but instead a young man. Luckily the teacher has a great memory and quickly identifies, That's Saidi. He lives in Morogoro now.

I had brought two kangas to give to the young woman I was to meet. Upon learning that it's a young man, I decided on an alternate course of action. One of the kangas would go to this wise teacher. I gave her a kanga with a picture of Barack Obama (which says in Swahili, Congratulations Barack Obama!) and a map of Africa, for her to be able to hang on the classroom wall.

The teacher then took us to the house (mud brick with thatch roof) where Saidi's family lives. Saidi's mother died when he was in elementary school and his father remarried, and was then caredfor by a step mother. She was home and recognized Saidi. The grandmother came in and looked at the picture and recognized him. It was actually the grandmother's kanga that Saidi was wearing, so I decided to gift the other kanga to her.

The final group photo has the village chairman, stepmother, grandmother, me, and the teacher.