At the PTA meeting yesterday at Big Dam Primary School, we heard about the boy Bello Bello for the first time. He was twelve years old we were told and absolutely brilliant – undoubtedly the best student in the school. Both his uncle and the Head Teacher stood and complained to us that they were on the verge of losing Bello Bello, as his helpless old mother needed him desperately at her home, a home which was far from Big Dam. Formerly, he had been living close to Big Dam with his uncle and sister, and so was able to attend school there. But as his helpless, widowed mother needed him desperately, he was relocated home, the relocation happening this past March. In Nigeria, schools were locked down from March until early June.
When schools reopened in June, Bello Bello resumed his studies at Big Dam Primary but arriving very late every day. Although scolded and disciplined for his tardy arrivals, he never told the teachers he was walking 15 kilometers to school every day. The uncle and Head Teacher asked us to visit the home and talk to the mother about releasing Bello Bello back into his uncle’s care, but it was a big dilemma. To keep Bello Bello in school at Big Dam was cruel. No twelve-year-old should be made to walk fifteen kilometers to school every day and fifteen kilometers back home again! But sending him back to live with his uncle close to the school would hurt the old mother! What to do? What to do?
Eventually, the PTA meeting ended and the crowd of over one hundred parents and staff dispersed to their various homes, the Bello Bello matter still very much up in the air.
Sani, Jacob, Zainab, and I got into the Sequoia, left Big Dam, and began the long drive back to Alhaji Buba’s compound, where we live. After we’d driven about 3 kilometers, we came across this small boy trudging along the main road all alone, wearing a rather ragged SFA uniform with a school bag over his shoulder. We stopped and asked where he was coming from and where he was going. He said he was coming from school, Big Dam, and going home. Where was home, we asked? He mentioned an area very far from where we were, past Alhaji Buba’s compound, past the Friesland Campina milk collection center – at least 15 kilometers away.
“Hop in,” we said, “we’ll give you a ride home.” I fished an unopened bottle of water out of my backpack and gave it to him. He immediately opened it and drank thirstily.
“What’s your name?” asked Zainab.
“My name is Bello Bello,” he answered.
Zainab looked at me. “What?” she exclaimed! “TWO Bello Bello’s in the same day? What are the chances of that happening?”
“I don’t know,” I answered, “Bello is rather a common name, after all. It’s not beyond reason that there could be two Bello Bellos!”
We began to discuss his school situation. This Bello Bello said he was in Primary 2. Zainab asked to see his school books and saw that his work was amazing. Beautiful handwriting, illustrations, and full marks on each assignment. We told him that it made no sense for him to attend Big Dam as it was so far away from his home, that we would transfer him to Bobi 1 Primary School, although, as we continued the long drive to his home, we realized that even Bobi 1 was very far from his home.
Finally, we turned off the dirt road onto a little path, following it to a very poor compound deep in the forest. In the distance, we had seen a woman pounding corn, but she must have run away when she saw us coming because, by the time we entered the compound, she was gone. Bello Bello searched for her in the various huts but she was nowhere to be found.
Zainab gave Bello Bello N2,000, about $4.50, for a new uniform, we said goodbye and drove away. Along the way I decided to buy this Bello Bello a bike, so he could at least get to Bobi 1 Primary School more easily. We asked our driver, Sani, to pick him up at his house the following morning and drive him to Bobi 1, taking him to the Head Teacher’s office for enrollment.
That evening, sitting around the fire, we were talking about this Bello Bello we had met on the road. Then Josephine, the Head Teacher at Big Dam, (who was visiting us at the time,) said, “But that’s the Bello Bello! He’s the one the uncle and I were talking about! That was him, that you met on the road, walking home!”
Of course. How unusual would it be to discuss than actually meet two different Bello Bellos on the same day!
And the solution to the dilemma of how Bello Bello could live at home with his mother and still attend school had already been provided! He would transfer to Bobi 1 Primary and ride a bike to school!
Today, Sani took Bello Bello to Bobi 1 and watched as he was formally enrolled in Primary 2. After school, he came over to Alhaji Buba’s compound where Okon gave him a big serving of rice with red sauce and fried plantain! Then Lawal arrived in the pick-up, bringing a shiny new bike for Bello Bello.
And Bello Bello happily rode his bike home to his mama!
I will never forget the story my first ICCM Director, Ann Van Valin, used to tell - the story of the starfish.
Early one morning a man walked down to the seashore near his house. During the night the tide had washed up and stranded thousands of starfish onto the beach, where they were dying in great numbers.
The man observed a small boy running back and forth from the beach to the water’s edge, gathering starfish and throwing them back into the water.
The man approached the boy and said, “What are you doing, Son? There are thousands of starfish on this beach; you cannot possibly save them all!”
“No,” panted the boy, still running back and forth, throwing starfish into the water, “but I can save this one, and I can save this one, and this one!”
Think about it. We CAN save children in Nigeria – not all – but we can save this one, and this one, and this one. With God’s help and your support, we will save the children, one child at a time.