“Every face tells a story” so goes the saying. However, it takes some time for someone to tell the correct story from the face he/she sees. When I first saw and met Ken Montgomery in July 2001, I had no correct story to read from his face. My friends and I saw him as just another of the visitors who used to come to Malawi Children’s Village (MCV). The unique feature that he added to his visit was the introduction of summer classes. He took the leading role in introducing the classes and personally teaching us Mathematics, English and Geography.
As days went by, I started reading the correct story that his face was to tell. My meeting with Ken in July 2001 marked the turning point in my life. Ken Montgomery, unlocked my hidden potential. He inspired me to begin to look at life from a different angle. He gave me hope through his teaching and other general discussions. Going to attend his classes was something I could not wait to do every morning. His classes were not only inspiring but also encouraging. It was indeed an eye opener. I remember vividly when he explained to me how the Internet works. It was more than just learning Mathematics, English and Geography but rather learning everything relevant.
As an orphan, I could not imagine to have someone drive me to school. Ken was the first person in my life to drive me to school. He bought the groceries for all the students he used to teach and drove us all to school which was about 50km from where we used to live. The stories we shared all the way to school were so amazing that the journey was very different and special than any other trips we had before. Being close to him throughout the whole was something every student wanted. During the weekends, he used to take us to hotels along the lakeshore of Malawi to swim. We had never been to those places. Those weren’t for orphan villagers like us but for rich people. When he took us the first time, I had never in my life swum in a swimming pool. These experiences were very unique and instrumental in my life.
Before I met Ken, I had never imagined that one day I will have an opportunity to go and have lunch at one of the greatest and best hotels in Malawi. He arranged a trip for the whole class to go to Blantyre to watch an International football match between Malawi and South Africa in which Malawi won. Before the game, we went to have lunch at Mount Soche hotel, one of the premier hotels in Malawi and there we got to meet the South African team who was also staying there! This trip was one of the unforgettable trips of my life. What was the most interest and unique about this trip besides the football match and the lunching at the hotel was that it was my first to visit Blantyre, one of the commercial cities in Malawi.
Our relationship grew from strength to strength. I got really encouraged and worked very hard in my studies. Ken personally sponsored my studies after I finished my secondary school. I was sent to study A-Levels at Kamuzu Academy High School which is one of the best schools in Malawi. The school is only attended by children who come from very rich families because the school is very expensive. Ken’s sponsorship went all the way to have me educated until finishing my university studies. I now hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Information systems (MIS) from the University of Malawi, The Polytechnic.
Currently, I am Global Health Corps fellow and have worked with Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI Malawi)-2012-2013 as a labs associate for Early Infant Diagnosis-Management Information Systems for a one year long fellowship program. Currently, CHAI Malawi has offered me a full time employment working as Program officer responsible for implementation of mHealth initiative as well as managing IT infrastructure in Lilongwe main office and satellite office in Mangochi.
Everyone we meet in life has purpose and a meaning to our lives. My meeting with Ken was a turning point in my life. I had no idea if could go any further with my studies after secondary school. I really thank him for all the endless support he rendered to me throughout my studies. I am now a fully grown up young man, full of energies to make sound economic, political and social contribution to the world.