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Happy, encouraging mother despite odds
2008-07-20 10:37:52
By Mbena Mwanatongoni
A cheerful woman recently strode into The Guardian on Sunday newsroom. Scribes were filled with anxiety, what with the confidence the lady commanded.
Her first question after exchanging pleasantries was how often was a parent visiting school to check on the academic and disciplinary performance of his child.
It was a tough question but Elizabeth Sanka discussed her experience in a chat with Mbena Mwanatongoni.
She never tires going to schools to make thorough follow-up on the development of her sons and a daughter. Before even confronting her children on their performance, she equips herself with information she receives from the teachers.
``First I ask from the teacher about the performance of my child. I want to know from the teachers what subjects are difficult and what seem easy.
It is from there that I seek an audience with my child,`` she beams with a kind of enthusiasm that seems infectious.
Elizabeth is quick to add: ``From this experience I have made all my children understand that I am equally concerned about their education, and that is a boost by itself.
You know, once your children are convinced you are also interested in their performance, they become instantly and eagerly motivated, and they would want to prove to you that you are not wasting your resources on them.``
Proof of that was during the first visit to the famous Pugu Secondary School on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam city to meet the physically impaired Faraja Sanka, the boy who was comforted with bracers a couple of month ago.
After introductions with the school authorities and as the disabled boy was in deep conversation with me, the mother seemed to have vanished, little would I guess she had gone to the academic desk asking facts about Faraja and his younger brother Tumaini.
I would not tell further what she was discussing individually with Faraja and then Tumaini when she came back from her disappearance!
They were in a serious dialogue concerning academic, and probably disciplinary, development.
She revealed this much later, although at first I thought she was only talking to the boys as a mother interested to know what they would want from the parents.
She is so thankful and actually happy that God has enabled her children to do well in class. ``That is my happiest part of life which will keep to the end of my life,`` says Elizabeth Amos Sanka, 41-year old mother of Faraja.
Faraja is a Form IV student at the Pugu Secondary School.
He was born 18 years ago with multiple congenital anomalies involving the musculoskeletal, genitourinary and cardio-respiratory systems.
Through his mother`s efforts, the boy got the badly needed bracers from KCMC after a charity group raised funds to meet the cost.
Life started normally from 20th May, 1967 for Elizabeth when she was born with twin brother Martin to parents Gikaya Nacham and Sofia Tluway at Didamado Village, Dongobesh Ward in Mbulu District.
Mixing later with fellow villagers and colleagues she joined mainstream primary education and finished Class VII at Endora Primary School in Karatu.
``I know my school education is limited but I am not certain if there are at all limits to education.
To me education does not end in classrooms or what you call lecture theatres or halls,`` the charming lady beams with confidence.
She says she is so much attached to the academic development of her five children that it becomes uncontrollably difficult to stay from their schools, appealing to parents to be close in the academic development of their children by linking cooperation with teachers, of course not forgetting the children themselves.
So adds Elizabeth, one among rare parents with such keenness for keeping track of the academic performance of children: ``I keep on moving from one school to another.
The idea is not to scare my children out of their concentration but to see how I can offer them any assistance where they think they need it.
I want to work closely with their teachers in boosting the academic morale.``
It is this kind of serious involvement that has inspired her children to compete well with their colleagues in class.
Her first born Daniel completed Form VI early this year with third born Tumaini plucking all efforts in his Form III studies at the same Pugu school where second born Faraja is studying.
The follow-up steam does not end there. She also goes on to establish the development of the Class Six Agape at Katesh Primary School in Hanang and that of her last born Standard Two Loveness at Dudie Primary School in Babati District.
``It is a taxing schedule but I make it with comfort,`` she admits.
Her major confrontation came with the birth of Faraja. Medical workers at Dareda Hospital in Babati asked her to take the newly born to Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, a referral hospital in Moshi for specialist examination, attention and care.
``That was my first biggest challenge. I had no idea where Moshi was and I knew nobody there.
My caring husband injected so much comfort and support that I found the tedious mission suddenly an ordinary one,`` she remembers of the journey that was the start to save the life of Faraja born with severe deformity.
The baby had uneventful recovery from a closure of meningocele one month after birth. Since birth Faraja had deformity of the chest cage, pelvis and solitary ectopic kidney.
Only a few days ago Faraja started practicing with his newly found support of bracers and crutches and medical experts are considering the possibility of transferring one of the kidneys both in one place from the left side to the rib-less right side.
``That is strictly the preserve of the medics although I will join them all the way through,`` says the caring mother without the slightest hint of fear or remorse.
She is also good at attending to the beans and maize shamba around their homestead in Dareda.
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