Mongu, Zambia
A Biggie Request for Nakushowa Mwenda AKA ‘Biggie’
I look up to Biggie, not because he is taller than most, and surely me,but because he is the teen many parents hope for. Biggie is on his last months of his 17th year and high school. Biggie wants to go to university to be an Engineer, like many his age. Biggie has a supportive mother and father who are working hard to raise a family and provide a better life.
Biggie’s father, believe it or not, has done this by digging himself into a deep hole. But, this is not in error, but by doing so he generates the raw materials for the building blocks, not only of homes but of life too. Biggie’s mom is a business woman and starts the days commute, well dressed and walking up the sand paved streets, to where she as a business woman sells wood products manufactured, next to the family home.
Along with being a student, Biggie since even before I met him last year as a 16-year-old, has been working in the wood products industry too, doing estimating and sales for Godwin Mwiya Godwin Godwin a local custom hand made manufacturer of finished wood products, doors and furniture.
Along with being a student and wood estimator/salesman, Biggie was also involved in the Cadets, a military training/scout type organization to help young men develop leadership, discipline and security skills.
Along with all of this in each of the last two years he has won the top engineering awards in his school, for applied engineering, designing and constructing.
Biggie speaks at least two languages, twice as many as I do.
Biggie will be graduating with grades earned worthy of starting studies for a university degree. While he pursues higher education, he will be working with an organization I created, Cultural Heritage International, working with his community to create photo and video, of life on the edge of civilization.
Like many teenagers of this type he is a sub-urban kid living on the edge of his City, Mongu, Zambia Unlike Western suburbia he does not live near farms but lives on the edge of civilization, in a housing type lived in for thousands of years by his ancestors. A grass house but more modern than Lincoln’s log cabin only in that it has electricity and a satellite dish. But like Lincoln no internal plumbing.
To get a better feel for Biggie and his life I am posting photos taken, not by me, but by Biggie, family school, and neighbors.
And I am going to ask of you who know of a university with an Engineering program who wants true diversity, to contact the Admission officers there, to find how Biggie can be there too.
And where he can get as much financial assistance as possible. While his Dad is trying to build a better world by making construction blocks they sell for $US 0.05 each yes 5 cents each, which would mean Biggies dad would have to make 1,000,000 blocks a year, to pay the average cost of such a study in the USA, maybe a few less with his Mother’s earnings, which both are needed to care for his siblings too. Now 1,000,000 blocks will require Biggie’s dad to dig himself into a hole so deep, he may not be able to get out of it. I ask for real help, not suggestions, and moral support, which are appreciated, but real admission officers, at real universities who see that Biggie will not only benefit from their institution, but their institution will benefit because of Biggie.
Biggie is tagged here Nakushowa Mwenda feel free to friend and assist, if you can and wish.
The last photo/video is Biggie applying his engineering and design skills as he welds metal, as he does hoping to weld strong bonds with others, to aid self, family and culture.
Biggie’s father, believe it or not, has done this by digging himself into a deep hole. But, this is not in error, but by doing so he generates the raw materials for the building blocks, not only of homes but of life too.
Biggie applying his engineering and design skills as he welds metal, as he does hoping to weld strong bonds with others, to aid self, family and culture.