While my mother was looking after the cattle and 7 months pregnant, I was born prematurely on the land where my ancestors were born. Mom fought day and night to keep me alive, warming me by the fire. Even as a child, I stood out from many others, because I absolutely wanted to go to elementary school. After finishing elementary school at the age of 14, my greatest dream was to go to secondary school, which my father forbade me to do. I was destined to herd cattle all my life.

I then fled my village without telling anyone.

I walked for 4 days in the savannah and slept in the treetops to protect myself from the hyenas. I arrived in the town of Arusha after 150 km of walking.

I was so frightened that I found the city huge and noisy. Until then, I'd never been outside my little village in the remote countryside around Lake Natron.

I lived and slept on the rooftops of Arusha with the street children, with all the dangers that entails. Banana peels found on the ground were my food for days, until I finally found a government office that took me off the streets and sent me to Arusha's public secondary school and boarding school. I had no books and no clothes.