Little Makena is a grade four pupil at Mackenzie Preparatory school located in Meru, in the eastern part of Kenya. Although her family is not that wealthy, they always try to help in whatever way they can. If they know a neighbour has nothing to eat, they always share whatever little they have, with them. This is one virtue that Mr. And Mrs. Muthure taught their children: To always try to help anyone who seems to be in trouble in whatever small way they can. This seemingly small but significant virtue would one day become of great help to someone they never imagined and the gesture would come through their last born child, Makena.
This is how it all happened. Makena was going to school one morning. She had her school bag strapped to her back and her lunch box in her hand. It was still early in the morning and everyone was in a hurry to get either to the office, school or businesses. Everyone was so engrossed in their own world that they didn’t notice a young man who was lying by the roadside side, 20 meters from the bus stop. For those who did, they assumed he was just one of the many drunkards who may have binged on the cheap liquor sold at a nearby informal settlement. What they didn’t know was that this was the son of one of the local Tycoon. This man was a victim of a drugging incident, a dangerous tactic which was being used by criminals to rob them. He had been accosted by the thugs on his way from college the previous evening, robbed of all his valuables and then dumped at a thicket near the road. The specific drug sends a person into unconsciousness and is only used under strict supervision in operating theatre and if used in large doses, causes dehydration and ultimate death. This young man was a victim of this. He was under severe dehydration and unless something was done urgently, he only had minutes to live.
It was at this juncture that Makena arrived at the scene. One look at that young man and she knew he was in a serious and desperate situation. Makena walked over to him ignoring the warnings of the crowd which were slowly gathering by the roadside. When she got to where the young man was lying, the young man slowly opened his eyes and said only one word; WATER. Makena didn’t hesitate. She just opened her lunch box, took out her water bottle and gave the water to the young man. He drained it in a flash. After resting for a few minutes, he was able to slowly sit up. Everybody gasped in shock when they realised who the young man was. It then dawned on them that the purported drunkard was one of the most well behaved young person in the neighbourhood and his father was the most generous and philanthropic person within the entire neighbourhood.
A good number of the bystanders had been beneficiaries of his kind deeds. This immediately spurred them into action. Some called the ambulance and others his father. They managed to get him to hospital in time and the doctors were able so save his life. His father was so deeply touched by Makena’s kind gesture that he offered to pay all her school fees up to university and also bought her parents a piece of land and built them a nice house.
The story of young Makena is a vital lesson to us. What might appear to you or others as just a small thing might end up saving a life & averting a pending disaster. Makena’s simple gesture of walking over to the young man and giving him water saved his life. What might appear to you as just a normal and dismissible thing, might mean the difference between life and death to somebody so never neglect to do a kind deed however small it might appear to be. Another point is that neither of us is too small to help so don’t look down at what you may deem as your little education, low financial capability, low standing in society or religious circles. Start by offering to the others what you may deem as little and by doing so, you may save a whole nation. READ MORE posts by Mwangi
