Today we had to say goodbye to the biggest TEP inspiration-Rhoda (Bibi) Kahatano. She passed in the early morning of August 18th. She was a strong, independent, passionate, caring individual who always had love to share. In 2009 she welcomed me in her home with open arms and within days she was truly my grandmother. Of course she did not end there as she shared her love and opened her home to the volunteers that followed. I would be honored to be and do just a tenth of what Bibi has done in her life. She has modestly shared many stories of her life including educating men and women about equality, aids, nutrition, domestic abuse, etc., digging 50 wells after the water source in west Tanzania was poisoned with the dead bodies of the Rwandan genocide and being one of the founding women to revolutionize the Tanzanian’s Women’s Movement. She fought against corruption while in parliament and continuously kept to her morals even with daily temping bribes. But most of all she was a loving mother and grandmother to all even in the face of great tragedy…
In less than a three year span, three out of her five children were murdered due to negligence or ignorance. Instead of giving up on life she dedicated everything to the children of Tanzania. She dreamed that if she could contribute to educating a generation that no one would have to suffer as their family had. She proceeded to sell off her parliamentary wealth and build FANAKA Memorial Secondary School brick by brick. But she and Babu did not end there, they also opened ELA Nursery School .Out of complete heartache and calamity she made a dream for hundreds of students come alive. The children receive a solid education in a safe, neutering environment whether they are Christians, Muslims, boys or girls. Bibi never stopped fighting, she never lost her passion and she never gave up on her dream- so neither will we. TEP will do everything it can to keep her dream alive. FANAKA Memorial and ELA Nursery School cannot pass with its founder; instead it must rise up to be the schools she always knew they could be.
The world suffers when we lose people like Bibi so it is our duty to follow in their footsteps. We must share the love we have and give back to all people. We must not settle for “it will change” but every one of us must take the imitative to make the change. Please keep the family, especially Babu in your prayers. We miss you mama and will love you forever.
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