The boy who preferred a knife
by Moqheeta Mehboob The title sounds astonishing, doesn’t it? Even I was taken aback when this young boy asked for a knife. We often watch short inspiring stories on social media or read them in Reader’s Digest or other good books. But I feel truly privileged to have experienced a real-life moment of inspiration—one worth sharing. During my work stay at Tamani School in Zanzibar, one Sunday, my husband and I decided to visit the local market just for the experience. You learn so much about a place’s culture and practices from raw, unpolished spaces like local markets. To fully immerse myself, I opted to take the same local transport the residents use. As I was boarding the dala dala —the public minibus—I was pleasantly surprised to see a group of boys from Tamani School also getting on. They greeted me enthusiastically, and I was impressed to see them so early in the morning, dressed neatly and ready for the day. They got off at Kinyasini—the very market I was headed t...