Mama Scott



Seuri proudly introduces his sponsor, Mama Scott, to his classmates at school.

In Tanzania, a woman essentially gives up her name when she becomes a mother. Instead she takes on the title of 'Mama,' followed by the name of her firstborn child. So when Pat Forbes, Scott's mother, came to visit us in Tanzania, she stopped being Pat and became Mama Scott. For our friends and students, it instantly made her identifiable and special. Since they all love Scott, they instantly loved her.

Mama Scott's journey from Wyoming to the Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania was filled with many firsts - first time traveling alone to an international destination, first time traveling to a developing country, and the first time traveling to Africa. But Scott and I hope all the transfers she had to catch, all the paperwork she had to fill out, all the malaria pills she had to swallow were worth it, because the impact she made on this end was immeasurable.

Since December of 2010, Pat and her sister, Carol, have been the sponsors of one of our favorite Orkeeswa students, Seuri Denis. Like so many of our students, Seuri is bright, motivated, and a hard worker. What Seuri possesses that not all of our students do is a deep-rooted kindness and gentleness that is shown when you interact with him. Now, another trait that Seuri has acquired is a strong sense of pride because he knows he has two amazing American women looking out for him and supporting him and sending him amazing packages filled with books, clothes, and school supplies. Not to mention the plethora of postcards and letters he's also received.

The whole time that Pat was in Tanzania, Seuri was beaming. It's a special event to have a sponsor visit the school and the village. But Pat went above and beyond. She arrived late at night to a foreign country and time zone, and woke early the next morning to attend the village's Catholic church with Seuri. Attending church every Sunday is something both Pat and Seuri have in common.
Then Seuri upped the ante a little more. He invited Pat, Scott, and I to spend the night in his Maasai boma, a small compound of structures made from sticks, cow dung and mud, with a roof made of dried grass. With no hesitation, Pat was up for the adventure. She was thrust into a completely different world of sleeping on the ground, eating Tanzanian food, drinking cup after cup of tea, socializing with his friends and family, and just generally fitting in when everything around her was shockingly brand new.

The rest of her week was filled with visits to the school and nearby attractions, a day safari in Tarangire National Park, hanging out with Scott and I, and spending more time with Seuri. Even though she was only here for one week, Pat definitely left her mark in Tanzania, with the school, with us, and, most importantly, with Seuri. We only hope Tanzania and the experience she had here lives in her the same way.

Mama Scott's visit coincided with our return to Monduli and Orkeeswa. After showing Mama Scott the Sunday market, Scott and I ran into our former student Gidion.

Mama Scott got to see our Maasai warrior students perform a ritual at the school.

On the day that Mama Scott visited the school, a wall of the kitchen was getting handprinted. Mama Scott got her hand painted and left a physical mark of her visit. Above, Scott's painting Flora's hand.

Mama Scott's farewell meal with Mbayana (in the red shirt) and Seuri (in a new yellow Wyoming Cowboys shirt).