JOCV 50th year anniversary

Name: Nabi Oki
Batch: FY1999-1 (Jul 1999 - Jul 2001)
Technical Field: Veterinarian
Host Organization: Thyolo Veterinary Office
Hometown in Japan: Saitama City, Saitama

A Piece of Memory: "Warm Heart of Africa, which a Boy Taught Me"

Lovemore boy who becomes bashful when spoken to

There are too many great memories that I can't choose just one. Despite thinking so, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of a story that is uniquely Malawian is what Lovemore, the boy in this photo, who was 5 years old at the time, said to me. As the end of my term approached, I had been trying to figure out with my friends at work how I could live in Malawi without going back to Japan… but our scheming was in vain. One day, just before I was to return to Japan, my friend Luka, who works for the water department, asked me, "Would you like to have a farewell dinner at my place?" At that time, of course, there was no such thing as electronic money, and I had to go to the water department every month to pay my water bill. Naturally, I met this Luka every month, so we became acquainted and became good friends, and two years had gone by. I readily accepted his offer, saying, "Thank you! I'll be there!" Apparently, having me, a foreigner, coming over to his house for dinner, was a big event for the family, and his two children were so excited that they were clinging to me. However, they don't engage in mischief, probably because Luka is strict with their discipline. I even wanted to take at least one of them back to Japan when they talked to me with their sparkling eyes that looked as if they were about to spill out. After dinner, Luka's second son, Lovemore, put his hand on my knee, looked into my eyes, and said, "Nabi, give me your hand." I did as he asked and Lovemore placed five one-kwacha coins in my outstretched palm. One kwacha could buy a banana at the time, and for a five-year-old, it was all he had. I asked, "What's the matter, Lovemore? Why are you giving me this?" He replied, "...Daddy said that Nabi is going back to a place called Japan, which is far away. It's very far away, isn't it? So… if you get hungry on the way, buy a banana with this and eat it." What a beautiful, straight, warm heart he has. Even now, as I write this, I feel like crying because of his innocence. I love animals more than people; that is why I became a veterinarian. I still loved animals more than people until I came to Malawi. But these words from a five-year-old boy made me realize, "What an arrogant heart I had to not like people." Lovemore, your Warm Heart of Africa has taught me something important. Thank you. Of course, these 5 kwachas is… still in my desk drawer at my parents' house instead of buying bananas.

Next will be a piece of memory of Ken Asano, a JOCV member of Batch FY1998-1, who was a pleasant person working on automobile maintenance, and with whom I shared a guard dog.