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Abel Thomas Simwaba, an 83-year-old elder in Tanzania was bestowed two cows from an Epoch Times reader in California. (Ondrej Horecky/The Epoch Times )
The kindness of strangers still exists, as an elder from rural Tanzania learned after he was gifted two cows from a total stranger in San Francisco.
Each week, The Epoch Times asks locals around the world one question, and publishes the results in the column called “Global Q&A .” In early March, the featured question was, “What one improvement would you like to make to your home?”
While respondents in Asia, Europe, and North America mentioned items such as heat pumps and spare bedrooms, a kind-looking man from Tanzania stood out with a different sort of answer.
“Because I’m old and weak now, and cannot work in my field anymore, I would like to have a cow that could give me milk to improve my health. I can also make some money from it as there is a high demand for milk here,” replied Abel Thomas Simwaba, identified as a retired laboratory assistant from the village of Mahango in Tanzania.
Little did Babu, meaning grandfather in Swahili as he is called, know that five weeks later, his wish would be fulfilled. After the column was published, a reader contacted the San Francisco edition of the paper, saying she wanted to donate a cow to Simwaba, if the man could still be found.
The reporter was contacted and said he could find him, but thought it best to find out the price of a cow first to make sure the reader was serious in her offer before telling Babu the news. He reported back that the price would be between 200,000-300,000 Tanzanian shillings, ($145-$220), for a calf, and up to 600,000 ($440) for a cow ready to milk. The reader agreed, but reaching Babu proved difficult; he is a very busy man.
Simwaba's home in Mahango village, Tanzania, where his two new cows will help provide milk for himself, village orphans, and elders. (Ondrej Horecky/The Epoch Times)
Babu retired 30 years ago, and exchanged the relative comfort of his city life in Kilimanjaro for a tougher existence in a small village of rice farmers, called Mahango, a place without electricity, only several public taps with running water, and separated from the nearest town by five miles of dusty, tarmac road. In this isolated region of Tanzania, owning a cow is rare, it is akin to being the sole person with a job in a village of unemployed.
Babu did not go there to enjoy his pension. Instead, he has spent most of his time setting up a clinic, a nursery school, and education center, self-help group, a community farm, and a mission house for Catholic nuns with a small orphanage that is expected to be expanded soon.
“I stay in Mahango because I want to help the people,” he said. “I'm interested in people. When I worked in Kilimanjaro region, I used to help people there. Then since I retired and moved here, I've been helping people here.”
What goes around comes around. This time, it is Babu at the receiving end of generosity.
“Oh, I thank him very much, I appreciate. This is a very good news, I will accept the gift,” was Babu’s first reaction when he heard the unexpected news.
At first, Babu had his eye on a pregnant cow, which he estimated would cost around 400,000 TS ($290), with another 100,000 TS ($73) for hiring a truck to transport the cow back to his village.
After the details were transferred to the United States, the donor decided to wire $450 to Babu through the nearest Western Union office in Mbeya, the provincial capital.
Back in Africa, Babu took his ID to the office, then set off to buy the pregnant cow. Unfortunately, the one he opted for had just been sold, so he bought a sturdy, healthy-looking cow for 450,000 TS ($328). With money left over, he managed to buy a small calf as well. Two days later, his “home improvements” were delivered to his doorstep in Mahango village.
With the recent completion of a small orphanage by a Czech NGO, Babu says he plans to build two bigger dormitories for orphans. His next concern, he says, are his peers, elders of the village who have no relatives left to provide for them. When he has enough milk later on, they will all share in the bounty too.
"You know, to me it means a lot. … It will be great for me and other elders and orphans. So it will help more people, not only myself. I really thank you and the donor for providing us this opportunity."
