Thomas and us

I met one amazing kid the other week. His name is Thomas and he is 6. He came to our SE101 meeting to teach us Swahili and I officially declare that I met at least the future BC Premiere. I am not going to exaggerate if I say that the whole team was impressed with the confidence and yes, cuteness of this little fellow.
He even prepared handouts for us, painted in beautiful bright colours. The handouts were not only a teaching tool but also a fundraising one. He and his Mum print the picture on T-shirts to help us fundraise money for our Se101 Africa Initiative. Last year Thomas fundraised $250 for the project.

His passion, courage and confidence make me wonder. At which age do we lose this freedom of being sure that we can achieve anything and the ability to exactly express what we think? How many children as Thomas are in Africa but have no possibility to develop their skills as Thomas does because they have no access to education? Seeing this confident child, singing the official anthem of the 2010 FIFA World Cup was certainly a highlight of my day. And it gently reminded all of us that our Se101 Africa Initiative, no matter how demanding and difficult it is at times, is certainly worth it.