June 17, 2022
by Amos Ajo
Today June 9, 2022, is the saddest day of my life, I lost not only a beloved brother but also an advisor. Every major decision I made I consulted with him. I even consulted with him before choosing my wife. He was a very wise man. I was fortunate to not only have a brother but also as an advisor. He lived a worthy life because his life was lived in the service to others.
He exemplifies the fact that what really matters is not what people think you are but what you are. I offered to build him a house or buy him a car, but he refused, the only reason he gave me was that I was spending too much money building the school and taking care of so many projects. I was surprised to learn that he did not even have a common motorcycle at the time of his death. He refused to use the money I sent to him to build additional classrooms to go to the hospital until I told him that his health was on a higher priority for me than anything else.
The hidden message for all of us here is that you and you alone have a choice to decide the legacy you want to leave. Shimawua could have chosen a big house and a fancy car to show off in the community but instead, he dedicated his time and energy to build a college for our youth. Something that I also learned from him is that no matter what you do, there are going to be people who may not like what you are doing, there will be people who will doubt you and speak ills of you and then there will be you proving all of them wrong.
With his deeds and his actions, he made me to understand that an abundant life here on earth is living a blessed life as a blessing to others. The résumés that we write about ourselves are nothing short of persuading people to trust us. We spend many, many hours trying to convince people to trust us. What I learned from my brother is that if you want people to trust you then do what you said you are going to do but do not stop there, do more than you promised. If you promise something but do not keep your words you jeopardize your credibility and can become known as someone who is unreliable and undependable. He made sure to keep all his promises.
Life is short in our world of chaos, tribal conflicts, hostility and violence toward one another, divisiveness, anger, and pure evil. Indeed, life is short, and I still cannot imagine that my brother Shimawua is gone but I am again reminded that in the end, it's not the years in your life that count but the mark that your life has left on others. I take consolation that Shimawua has left a mark in Shumba community that will be forever remembered.
Rest in peace until we meet again!
Your junior brother,
Amos A. Ajo
He exemplifies the fact that what really matters is not what people think you are but what you are. I offered to build him a house or buy him a car, but he refused, the only reason he gave me was that I was spending too much money building the school and taking care of so many projects. I was surprised to learn that he did not even have a common motorcycle at the time of his death. He refused to use the money I sent to him to build additional classrooms to go to the hospital until I told him that his health was on a higher priority for me than anything else.
The hidden message for all of us here is that you and you alone have a choice to decide the legacy you want to leave. Shimawua could have chosen a big house and a fancy car to show off in the community but instead, he dedicated his time and energy to build a college for our youth. Something that I also learned from him is that no matter what you do, there are going to be people who may not like what you are doing, there will be people who will doubt you and speak ills of you and then there will be you proving all of them wrong.
With his deeds and his actions, he made me to understand that an abundant life here on earth is living a blessed life as a blessing to others. The résumés that we write about ourselves are nothing short of persuading people to trust us. We spend many, many hours trying to convince people to trust us. What I learned from my brother is that if you want people to trust you then do what you said you are going to do but do not stop there, do more than you promised. If you promise something but do not keep your words you jeopardize your credibility and can become known as someone who is unreliable and undependable. He made sure to keep all his promises.
Life is short in our world of chaos, tribal conflicts, hostility and violence toward one another, divisiveness, anger, and pure evil. Indeed, life is short, and I still cannot imagine that my brother Shimawua is gone but I am again reminded that in the end, it's not the years in your life that count but the mark that your life has left on others. I take consolation that Shimawua has left a mark in Shumba community that will be forever remembered.
Rest in peace until we meet again!
Your junior brother,
Amos A. Ajo