When Kamala-Jean saw the school in Malosa for the first time, she sat in the car and started to cry.
“I said to the driver: ‘Just give me a moment, please.’ “
~~
Kamala-Jean had “no notion” that a simple conversation in a Cape Town market would cause so many things to change.
When she met Happy, he was a market vendor whose chances in life seemed very limited. Now, he’d not only returned to school at age 23; he was suddenly in charge of building one!
While Kamala-Jean and People Bridge continued raising funds in Canada, Happy bought the building materials – bricks and sand for walls, cement for the floor, zinc for the roof, glass for the windows. Next, he hired the workers.
The school, they expected, would attract about 40 children. Then one day Kamala-Jean got an email.
“Happy emailed me and said, ‘Mum, I registered 70 students in two days. Should I continue the registration or not?’
“Seventy! I wrote back and said ‘No more!’ Then, after I got there, he said, ‘Mum, we have 90 registrations.’ “
~~
Kamala-Jean wiped her tears and stepped from the car. It was September 18 – opening day.
“Not only did I hear the children’s voices, but I saw about forty mothers with babies sitting under a mango tree; then there was a table with the head chief and two others. All were there waiting for me.”
Inside the building, all fifty chairs were filled; the other children sat on a tarpaulin on the floor. Some were barefooted.
Happy and two young women are the teachers. Everyone sang together.
Afterwards, Kamala-Jean and the teachers planned lessons and went through the teaching supplies she’d brought.
“I told Happy, ‘Let’s close the school while we plan.’
“But the next day the kids were all there. Happy explained what the parents said: ‘If there’s a school, we are going to send our children to it.’ “
~~
The families in the area live on subsistence farming – they grow maize and beans; some also grow bananas, avocado and mangoes.
“People don’t starve – they grow their own food. But they have no cash.”
~~
Building the school boosted the local economy. It provided an income for many people, including local stores, builders, teachers, furniture-makers and even Happy’s mother and grandmother. Each woman is paid two dollars a week to cook maize for the children’s lunch.
The benefits don’t end there. The community has no water supply, but Kamala-Jean felt the school needed its own water, for hygiene reasons.
Maybe they should dig a bore-hole for water? She asked Happy to investigate.
Happy did. He told her it was cost-efficient to make water available to the community, not just the school. So the region’s main water pipes, which currently stop outside their area, are now being extended. Happy is supervising this project too.
As his mentor Kamala-Jean says, “His commitment to the community is unbelievably strong.”
~~
As for Happy?
Chimwemwe (Happy) Musa — his full name — finally got the other results he’d been waiting for. Weeks ago, he learned he passed his exams, thereby completing high school at last. He hopes to start teachers’ college a year from now.
~~
Kamala-Jean still marvels at everything that’s happened since her random meeting with Happy in that Cape Town market.
“Some people would say the stars aligned. If you believe in God, you have to think there was a purpose for my being there. This young man, by the way, has a deep belief in God. He genuinely thinks that if he does the wrong thing, God will not be happy. He’s always trying to do the right thing.”
As Happy “does the right thing” in Malosa, Kamala-Jean continues to guide and mentor him from Toronto. And she and People Bridge are continuing to raise funds to support the school till it can stand on its own.
Want to contribute to the Malosa School Project in Malawi? https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/the-people-bridge-charitable-foundation/
Cynthia Reyes 
Wonderful story. Thanks for sharing.
And I thank you for reading it and commenting.
Reblogged this on Haddon Musings and commented:
Here is part 2 of this remarkable story. Thank you Cynthia for sharing it.
Thanks for reblogging, Bernadette!
Lovely story. Thank you so much for sharing, Cynthia.
My pleasure, Jill.
What a wonderful and powerful story this is. My thanks to Happy for being a good man, Kamala-Jean for helping and you for telling the story. My heart feels warmer.
Ah — that’s such a lovely reply, Margaret. Thank you.
Such an amazing story.
That’s for sure. I’m still amazed whenever I think about it.
What a story! May many good things ripple forward from what has been started.
Well said, Laurie. Remarkable!
Amazing! What a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing, Cynthia. And thank you for “doing” KJ. Once again you show us that it really does take a village and that one committed person can make it start happening for that village. You go girl! 🙂
She is an inspiring person, Connie. Thanks for supporting this project, and Kamala-Jean, and for visiting us here.
A wonderfully inspirational story
Glad to hear so, Derrick.
What a beautiful story. It brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart. Thank you Cynthia and Kamala-Jean. An Awesome Story! 🙂
Me too, Brad. It’s teared me up a few times since I started writing this several months ago and it was all but completed till this weekend. I started saving her email notes and photos from the beginning, and told her I was writing a feature about her and Happy. But even so, rereading the story this weekend made me tear up.
Thanks for sharing this beautiful story.
So much can be accomplished by a generous heart. Thank you for sharing this story.
An amazing story of a chance meeting. We take so many things for granted and have so much. Here is a woman who made a difference!
So right, Jo Nell. We do. I just read where she said 150 kids are registered today, which means they’ll likely have to add another building. Sounds astounding to even think of, but she also points out that it doesn’t take much (according to our costs) to build there.
What a wonderful story. Thanks so much Cynthia for sharing.
thank you, Doreen. Good to hear from you on my blog!
What a fabulous story, it shows what a big difference a single conversation can make!
It sure does, Andrea. What I didn’t say was that Kamala-Jean’s sister-in-law was buying something elsewhere in the market, and she sat down on a bench – near Happy’s stall — to wait. If she had chosen to sit anywhere else, this would likely not have happened.
I love the story of all these good works continuing to unfold, Cynthia! Please keep your readers posted on Kamala-Jean, Happy and the school. I hope to read that Happy has finished his teaching degree. Those children, and children everywhere, are the hope of the future.
Will do, Lavinia. I’ve been following up with Kamala-Jean and Happy and writing this story for a long time now. This weekend felt like the right time to post it. You’re so right – children are the hope for the future.
Thank you Kamala Jean, thank you Happy, thank you Cynthia – here is the real work of the world and here is where we see good people making a difference and leaving a legacy! Is there a venue for me to donate to this project?
Oops! I thought I answered this, but I went to the blog to add the information and forget to hit “Post comment” here. Sorry about that, and thanks for reminding me. Here’s the link to donate: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/the-people-bridge-charitable-foundation/
Thanks for that Cynthia – I need more info:
What is the name of Kamala-Jeans initiative?
Malawi – Malosa School Project
Such a wonderful ‘good news’ story, Cynthia. Thanks so much for sharing…I’m sharing too! 🙂 xo
Thanks for sharing, Bette. And for liking this story. It inspires me too.
Wonderful and inspiring 🙂
Thanks for your lovely comment. I’m inspired by them too!
I am filled with joy as I see the difference in the community and it took so little (by our standards) to make it happen. Based on a message from Happy today, 150 children are now registered!! I now have to think know about building another classroom. The parents and the children are hungry for education.
150! Oh my goodness. So great is the need. Brava, Kamala-Jean and thanks for replying here.
This is a great story. Something tells me that happy will be even happier in the future!
Yes. Though I think he’s plenty happier already. He and his community can now hope for better things.
This is such a wonderful project and which is continuing to grow and grow!
This is a miraculous story. With a little nudge, help, a lot of initiative, so much good change happened! Thanks for telling this…
Cynthia thank you for telling our friend Kamala Jean’s amazing gift of selflessness and generosity. She is an example for all of us. The world is a better place because she is in it.
What a wonderful story with a happy ending! Thank you.
This is such a wonderful story to read in the troubled, selfish times we are facing. Thank you for sharing.
Just loved this story Cynthia. Thank goodness for people like Kamala and Happy 🙂
What a wonderful good news story, Cynthia. It gives me hope to hear how much of a difference one person can initiate through a sincere desire to help. God doesn’t need wealthy people, He needs willing hearts. ❤
Blessings ~ Wendy
I am thrilled to see how God has been using you Kamala-Jean to be His hands and feet here on earth. You are doing a great job and I applauded you for that. For sure I would like to partner with you on such a marvelous work.
I will talk with you Marcia.about the school project..Thank you for your kind words and wishes.
I am moved to tears, just reading this, and I am so happy to see the photographs of everyone, especially the moms sitting under the mango tree. As I understand the universe, that was no “random meeting with Happy in that Capetown market,” and what an amazing encounter it was. A big thank you to Kamala-Jean for sharing her love, and you, Cynthia, for sharing this story.
Delighted to see that this story of generosity,joy and justice is being shared. Congratulations Kamala Jean ! May the work of this village spread across the land.
Goosebumps…