Sam’s Sacred Mission to Secure His Dream
Samuel Gelambu (20) is the sixth of seven siblings. He has four brothers and two sisters. His family lives in a remote village in the hinterlands in the Merauke district in Papua province. It needs about two hours walking through small dirt road -- which would be very muddy during the rainy season -- to reach his village from the nearest town.
His father, Petrus Gelambu (46), is a farmer and often goes into the jungle to collect crops or hunting wild animals that can be sold to support his family. Rufina Basik (38), his mother, sometimes supports her husband at the farm. The family lives in a very simple condition because the income from the farming and from the collecting crops or hunting in the jungle could not adequately meet the needs.
Samuel had a dream to become a teacher one day.
Amid such a condition, Samuel had a dream to become a teacher one day. Since his young age, he often helped his father at the farm, such as preparing the farmland, tending the vegetable farm, or even joining his father when he went into the jungle to hunt. He often accompanied his father when Petrus tried to sell the goods to the buyers. Petrus tried to save a part of the income for the future needs of his children. But, the savings were very minimal. Most of the income was used for the daily needs of his family. There were nine persons there to feed.
Sam is a sponsored child of Wahana Visi Indonesia, a special partner of World Vision. He is very grateful that his sponsor often contacts and motivates him. The sponsor also often sends him books, bags, T-shirts, other schooling needs, and even some funds since he was at the primary school. He and his sponsor often correspond to each other to share about their lives.
Thankful for his sponsor's support
"I'm very grateful that somebody out there has given such a support to my life," Sam said. He wisely spent the money he got from his sponsor, such as to buy books, shoes or uniform for his schooling. His mother Rufina often took part in Wahana Visi activities, such as during the advocacy training about basic health or the importance of education for their children. Therefore, Rufina has been motivating Sam to keep schooling to higher level if he wanted to become a teacher.
As he graduated from junior high school, Sam had no option than moving to the city to continue his study. There is no senior high school in his village. He braved himself to part with his family and lived with another family in the city who was willing to accept him in their house. The house is actually still quite far from his school, which is situated some 15 kilometres away. Sam tried to strive hard to be able to get to his school as early as possible. The struggle was much more challenging during the rainy seasons.
He usually walked on foot for some time and then -- with his friends -- tried to hitch-hike on passing cars or trucks which were willing to help the school children there. Amid such constraints and struggle, Sam at last could graduate from senior high. The challenge to realize his dream was how he could enroll to the university. His family could not give much financial support.
A scholarship for Samuel
He was down-hearted for some time. But, he took time to come to Wahana Visi office in Merauke to discuss his options with the officers there. The officers motivated him and encouraged him to apply for scholarship from the university awarded for children of poor families. Sam followed that advice and he indeed secured such a scholarship.
Samuel Gelambu is now a student at a college in Merauke studying to become a teacher. His long and so challenging journey from such a remote village to become a student at a teacher's training college in Merauke will surely continue to energize his will to realize his dream in the future.
Let's support Sam in prayer that he would be able to become a teacher some day; not just an ordinary teacher, but a teacher that would be able to motivate many other children to dream dreams and to work hard to achieve them.* (Written by Adrian J. Heatubun, staf Wahana Visi Indonesia Kantor Operasional Maro | Edited and Translated by Hendro Suwito, Senior Editor World Vision Indonesia)