When Opportunity Knocks

One of the first pieces of advice I received from colleagues at school was that I shouldn’t leave any of my belongings in a place where they might be taken. This included out the front of the volunteer house, around the school etc. The explanation was if things that are left around, Tanzanians will consider that they are not wanted, so they will take them.

Later, someone elaborated on this for me. Taking things is not considered stealing, it’s seeing an opportunity and taking it. I have to be honest, I still have trouble with this concept. I understand that people are considered to be “have nots” (Africans in this case) could probably easily justify taking things from those who do have (Mzungu). And let’s face it, they’re probably right – we can probably afford to get a new whatever, whereas they could never afford one in the first place. But I’m sure they know it’s stealing – whether you call it taking an opportunity or stealing really is just a question of semantics.

A couple of months ago, someone got past our night watchmen (askari), came into our school, broke into the office (without breaking the door), got into a locked filing cabinet (without forcing the lock), and then opened a locked cash box. They then took off with a few thousand dollars that were intended to pay staff wages the next day. Houdini obviously knew that we paid our wages on the last day of the month and turned up the night before. That was a hell of an opportunity!

When it was discovered the next morning, it was heart-breaking not to mention baffling! How someone had gotten past all these locks without breaking any of them was quite incredible.

We have yet to work out how the thief(ves) were and how they did it. And even though it’s really not surprising that in a country this poor, people would steal, it was a shock nonetheless. In my little bubble, and to this day, I just can’t fathom how someone could steal from a school that was educating poor children (many of whom are orphans). You would think that even the most common thief would appreciate what we are doing, and look at the bigger picture.

But then again, they probably justified it by thinking that because we have and they don’t, that makes it all okay! Forget the fact that we struggle to make ends meet every month. No matter that we are trying to change Tanzania by fighting poverty though education. If you want to justify something, you’ll find a way to do it. And whoever stole from our office did. I hope they are happy but somehow I doubt it!