A stranger in Nairobi 'sowed a seed of kindness' that he carries with him today
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Time now for "My Unsung Hero," our series from the team at Hidden Brain. "My Unsung Hero" tells the stories of people whose kindness left a lasting impression on someone else. Today's story comes from Biar Kon. Biar grew up in a refugee camp in Kenya after his parents were forced to flee war in neighboring Sudan. When he was 17, he moved to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, to attend school. After he arrived, he needed to get some documents from the Sudanese embassy, but when he went looking for the embassy, he couldn't find it. He asked people for directions. No one knew where it was. Then an older woman tapped him on the back.
BIAR KON: And then she's like, hey, my son - that was the first word she said - hey, my son, how are you doing? And then I said, I'm good. She said, OK, I saw you talking to multiple people, and I was wondering, are you asking them for money or are you asking them for anything to eat or a shelter? And I was like, no, thank you. She thought I was homeless because in Kenya is very common kids at 17, kid at 15, kid at 12, kid of any age can be on the street looking for survival. So when she asked me if I was looking for anything to eat or any financial help, and I told her no, I'm actually looking for Sudan embassy. And that's when she said, oh, it's actually a block away. And she gave me the direction.
But she told me, you know, the reason why she asked me is because she's a mom. And as a mother, I wouldn't want my child to be on the street, and anytime I see a child on the street, I kind of feel like I have an obligation to help. So that taught me a very powerful lesson. You never know what kind of impact you can make to somebody when you give them a helping hand. Like, that older woman gave me a helping hand even though I didn't need the help. It kind of sow a seed of kindness in me. And every time I see somebody who is going through something, I always reflect upon that and try to help.
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KELLY: Biar Kon is a student at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He hopes to one day start a nonprofit to provide housing and social support for people living on the streets, an idea partly inspired by his unsung hero. You can find more stories like this one on the "My Unsung Hero" podcast.
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