My Rows and Piles of Coins

In sun-drenched Tanzanian hills, young Saruni strides beside his mother toward bustling Mchingu market, eyes locked on a red-and-blue bicycle gleaming like sunrise metal among mounds of cassava and clucking hens. Each week he unloads pumpkins, counts his clinking coins, and lines them in perfect rows—the way teachers stack syllables—proving Economic Justice can sprout from patient saving and that Gender Equality shines when a son shoulders his mother’s loads. His dream is simple yet seismic: pedal the rutted slope home so Mama no longer balances firewood on aching shoulders. But market prices wobble like a goat on gravel, and Saruni’s heart sinks when he learns the bicycle costs more than every dawn of hauling has earned. Determination sparks; perhaps generosity, not shillings, can bridge the gap—but what bold step will he dare before next Saturday’s drum-beat bazaar opens? Glowing watercolor spreads burst with mango gold, kanga patterns, and the hum of community, making this tale a vivid primer on perseverance, family duty, and the math of hope. Tap the blue ➕ to Save to List for later inspiration, or hit the bold arrow to Learn More and connect your classroom, youth group, or congregation to Saruni’s coin-stacking quest.