Blantyre, Malawi … “A lot of people who are much older than me go back to secondary school. All that matters is what one wants to achieve in life and then be geared to achieving it. This mobility unit is the stepping-stone I needed to move towards my destiny,” said Brian Mhango as he talked with members of Action for Progress during their visit with him when he was given a brand new, orange, and green mobility unit.
While large numbers of students drop out of school during their early years this was not the case with Brian. He kept going in spite of the fact he suffered from malaria when he was very young and could not stand without someone helping him. Even to go to the bathroom required assistance. It was good that the primary school was close to his house, and in spite of often missing work, his parents focused on getting him to school.
However, when it came time to move to secondary school it was a different matter. The nearest school was too far away, and he had to drop out. Years passed with little hope of anything ever-changing. A year, another year, and another. Finally, at the age of 30, Brian came face to face with the folks from Action for Progress and everything changed. Now with his brand-new mobility unit, he is determined to go back and finish secondary school. His age is not a deterrent, he noted to the guys from AfP who had just given him a gift that could completely change his life.
The statement that comes to mind was expressed a number of years ago by a Malawian who was determined to overcome a particular obstacle that stood in his way. He smiled, and without hesitation responded, “Where there is a will, there is a way!”