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Touching
Stories
THE WORLD'S MOST BEAUTIFUL BIKE
By Jann Mitchell
In
1996, a young father named Juma Hassani went to work
as usual: diving into the tepid turquoise depths of
the Indian Ocean to catch prawns. On this particular
day, something went terribly wrong, leaving Juma's
head spinning and his lower body paralyzed.
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The
man known for his big smile had little to grin about
during his nearly 4-year hospitalization. His wife
divorced "the cripple," leaving him with
two boys to feed and school. He developed diabetes.
Relatives helped some, but Juma knew he had to do
something.
In
September 2004, with rubber flip-flops protecting
his hands, he began pulling himself through the eroded
dirt paths of Mbagala village to the Bibi Jann Day
Care Centre - the nearest school. From 8 a.m. until
2 or 3 p.m., he sits atop a straw mat in the shaded
outdoor hallway, copying letters and words from a
primer onto paper. He progresses nicely, and proudly
prints his name. Around him, children 35 years
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younger
do the same in this school built solely by individual donations.
He eats lunch at school - his only meal of the day - while
his sons Shaban, 11, (who wants to be a policeman) and Hassan,
14 (a would-be cab driver) attend primary school mornings.
He cannot afford the afternoons.
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When
his hands aren't busy with a pencil, Juma weaves baskets
(which take two days), or mats (two months). He also
builds fine boats - perfect models of the lateen-sailed
craft from which he'll never dive again. Proudly,
he's an honorary "bibi" in the GRANDMA-2-GRANDMA
project.
Though
land-locked, Juma's heart is still at sea. With 10
nets at $7 each, he could hire men to fish for him,
then sell their catch. Then his sons would get the
education he's struggling to catch up on.
Juma's
other dream, of owning a hand-pedaled large tricycle
which disabled
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people in Tanzania use instead of wheelchairs, came true
in April, 2005. The American Women's Club of Stockholm made
a generous grant to the school, and $150 enabled disabled
workers to build a shiny red trike for the school's most
deserving student. Surprised and proud, the 38-year-old
father practiced wheeling himself around the schoolyard
before pedalling home as children chased alongside in an
impromptu parade.
For
the first time in years, Juma's big grin was at eye-level
with the world.
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