The Happiest Day for Simeon and Sula
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Hello! My name is Simeon. I am 8 years old. This is my sister Sula. She is 7. We live in a small village in Tanzania, Africa. Our village is located near Mount Kilimanjaro.
My family lives in a house. Our house is made out of mud, cow dung and small pieces of wood. Our roof top is made from grasses. My whole family lives in this house: my dad, mom, sister, grandparents and several cousins. My house has one room. We huddle together at night to sleep and share blankets to stay warm. There is no electricity or running water, and our kitchen is outside of our house.
Every morning my mama wakes Sula and me before the sun is up and before we hear the rooster crow. Our daily chore is to take a bucket-one for each hand-and walk to the river. This is our only water source. The river is six miles from our house. It is dark outside when we leave. We have to be careful because wild animals roam around. We stop many times on our walk because we are tired, thirsty and hungry. We have very little to eat or drink at home so we find some grasses along the way to eat to keep our tummies from hurting.
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About the Book
The Happiest Day for Simeon and Sula share the joys and struggles of a brother and sister who live in Tanzania Africa. Waking up before the sun is up to begin chores for the family and walking miles to get water for the family is unfamiliar to most who live in developed nations. Their hope to attend school one day is shared throughout the book. To be able to wear a school uniform and walk with shoes on their feet seems like a dream. Their dream becomes reality with the help of many kind donors reaching out to them from thousands of miles away. Enjoy the excitement as Simeon and Sula hear of some wonderful news that help is on the way!
About the Author
Pamela Schwalbach a native of the mid-west grew up in a wholesome community surrounded by a wonderful family. Her desire to help others began at an early age. She had become active in many local and global experiences. The seeds to help others in need was planted during her high school years. In February 2009 she took a life changing trip to Tanzania East Africa. It was during this trip she was faced with the reality of how others in developing nations live.
In The Happiest Day for Simeon and Sula , African traveler and humanitarian Pamela Schwalbach weaves a story of harsh realities and attainable dreams—dreams made possible by organizations like her own 501c3 non profit called Simple Hope. Her organization offers a food program for African children who are economically destitute. The organization's website: www.simple-hope.org and her own personal blog www.helpingmwika.blogspot.com depict in detail how she is reaching out to help others in need. The motto of Simple Hope is “building a bridge of love between our worlds,” and in The Happiest Day for Simeon and Sula, Schwalbach creates a bridge of understanding among children in Africa and those in developed nations.
Schwalbach simply offers young readers an unforgettable glimpse into a world of hardship—but also hope. Says Simeon:
"We are so grateful and will now be able to help others. This was the happiest day for us."