Interview with Godius, March 2014
Godius M. Mtagwaba
Teacher at the school in “Kemondo Childrens Home” of Mathematics, Science, Sports - 25 years of age
At the end of 1993 I came with my two sisters to the orphanage. It was just before Christmas, I still
remember well. I arrived with the age of 5 years and was the last child of 9 siblings, our parents have died
- from poverty, they had told me and my mother because of the prevailing magic in the place.
I started in blue House, moved to yellow and ended in the red house. We were about 12 children in our
house, the whole village had that time only 30-40 kids. I went to kindergarten at the orphanage, the
school did not exist. After kindergarten, I attended from first to seven class at the Primary School in
Kemondo - that was a walk of 30-45 minutes. Then the four years Secondary School in Kashozi on the
mountain above Kemondo had a walking distance of 1½ hours.
Upon completion in October 2008, I worked half a year at the school at the orphange which we have built
in the meantime, followed by 1 year as uncle in our boarding school. Before I completed the two years
teachers training in Dar es Salaam.
And then the manager of the orphanage faced me with an interesting question: "What can you give back
the children's village"? At first I thought to support various project works, such as the firewood supply or
improve the water supply. "We need workers," was his answer. I thought about it and agreed, so I started
in July 2012 as a teacher at the orphanage.
If you could turn the clock back 20 years and would have free choice to grow up in or outside of the
orphanage, Godius replied as follows:
I would prefer to be rather at the orphanage. Outside there are many questions - who pays school fees? Is
there anything to eat today? such as beans or ugali? Is there any salt? Fish?
These questions you do not ask at the children's home, for you have always to eat. Growing up in the
houses is like a family. However there is a lack of men - almost all the houses are run by a single parent.
And of course you also have some challenges - "where many cups are next to each other, they pump each
other". But I would say 95% of the things are good.
I'm really grateful that I was allowed to grow up here, that's for sure. I would also prefer to spend my
whole life here, but I want to do the will of God in my life. In any case, I would like to stay here quite a
while and then we'll see.