Photo Credit: Salum Ndezi

La vita può cambiare all’improvviso

Quando il nuovo anno inizia con 365 giorni, io vedo 365 opportunità nelle mie mani.
DR of the Congo, Middle Africa

Story by Salum Ndezi. Translated by Stefania Ledda
Published on March 14, 2021.

This story is also available in GB ar de es fr ir kr



Sono nato nella città di Bukavu, nella zona orientale della Repubblica Democratica del Congo. Quando avevo 5 anni, mia madre si ammalò di lebbra. Mio padre la portò in molti ospedali della città, ma lei non riusciva a riprendersi. Mio padre spese tutti i suoi guadagni per pagare le numerose spese sanitarie. Più tardi, le gambe di mia madre rimasero paralizzate e lei non riusciva a camminare. Così mio padre la portò in un miglior ospedale in città, dove fu curata, e si riprese, iniziando a camminare come prima. I costi delle cure furono però molto alti e mio padre dovette vendere la nostra casa per poterli sostenere. A causa di queste vicende, i miei genitori si trasferirono da Bukavu a un villaggio chiamato Nyangezi.

Ho vissuto a Nyangezi fino a quando non ho finito le scuole superiori. Poi ho lasciato la casa dei miei genitori e mi sono trasferito di nuovo in città per iniziare gli studi universitari. Volevo diventare un perito informatico, ma non riuscivo a entrare nelle università che avevano un dipartimento di ingegneria dei software. Così, decisi di cercare altrove e iniziai a frequentare un’università a Kigali, la capitale del Rwanda e paese confinante con il nostro: attraversai i confini ed entrai all’università. Ero così felice di vivere in un paese nuovo con cibo, atmosfera, culture diverse e dei nuovi amici.

Ero così felice di vivere in un paese nuovo

Dopo un anno e mezzo, mio fratello, che stava pagando le mie tasse universitarie, l’affitto e altre spese, perse il lavoro quando il suo negozio di arredamenti fu ridotto in cenere per un corto circuito. A causa di questo evento inaspettato, la nostra vita diventò amara. Dipendevo da mio fratello per qualsiasi cosa. Non avevo alcun parente o amici a Kigali che potessero aiutarmi, e nessuno in famiglia poteva sostenermi economicamente poiché vengo da una famiglia a basso reddito. Per via dell’ansia, persi 4 chili in una settimana. Vista la mia situazione finanziaria, avevo bisogno di tornare a casa. Mi ero organizzato per partire entro due settimane poiché avevo ancora dieci giorni di affitto da pagare e del cibo che mi avrebbe sostentato per quindici giorni.

Avevo bisogno di tornare a casa. Mi ero organizzato per partire entro due settimane

Quattro giorni prima della partenza andai in biblioteca. Lì incontrai un nuovo amico, un altro immigrato che si presentò a me quando mi sentì parlare in Swahili. Mi cambiò la vita quando mi disse che c’erano posti disponibili per insegnanti di francese nelle scuole elementari del luogo.

Presentai la mia candidatura e pregai il dio onnipotente. Lui è al di sopra di tutti e di tutto e Lui è colui che dà e colui che toglie. Dopo cinque giorni, una scuola mi chiamò per un colloquio. Tre giorni dopo, il dirigente scolastico chiamò per dirmi che avevo ottenuto il lavoro. Era un miracolo per me! Annullai tutti i piani per tornare a casa.

Quando ottenni il lavoro, smisi di studiare per un semestre per mettere un po’ di soldi da parte. Dopo cinque mesi tornai all’università per proseguire gli studi, ma il mio stipendio non bastava per pagare le tasse per gli studi di ingegneria. Così mi dovetti trasferire al Dipartimento di Lingua e Letteratura Inglese. Adesso sono all’ultimo anno di università e sto ancora insegnando francese.

Iniziai a pensare che tutto è possibile nella vita

Dal momento in cui divenni insegnante, iniziai a pensare che tutto è possibile nella vita. Quando il nuovo anno inizia con 365 giorni, io vedo 365 opportunità nelle mie mani. Credo di aver bisogno di essere più creativo, coraggioso, e di avere dei buoni rapporti con la gente che incontro. Dico sempre “Anche se ci provi e fallisci, non rimanerci deluso. Abbi sempre un atteggiamento ottimista verso il successo, perché ogni situazione della vita è temporanea. La vita è tutta una questione di tempismo.


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Salum Ndezi

Salum Ndezi

I’m Salumu, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is the second widest country of Africa with more than four hundred tribes and more than four hundred fifty dialects. Kiswahili, Lingala, Tshiluba and Kikongo are the four national languages and French is an official one. It is a very rich country with its natural resources. But the biggest problems are the political instability, insecurity, war most in the eastern part of the country, and tribalism. And these bring us other big problems of poverty and hunger. Citizens cannot benefit from the resources of their own country. I observed and found out that people’s mentality must be changed, from all classes of people. And my only way to contribute to changing people’s mentality is through writing and sharing my ideas with everyone. Together we can make Congo, Africa and the whole world a better place.

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