Two Uneducated Miners Strike Gold: A Tale of Hope and Perseverance: Abdul Boima, age 35, with a hat on his head while his friend, Sarh Yibba, age 36, held a shovel and shaker in his hands. They were optimistic as they left in search of what they called “finding what we didn’t keep but believe in God.” Abdul Boima, who is married with three children, and Sarh Yibba, who is also married with one child, depend on their livelihood through what they call “over kicking.” They mine at sites where big companies and individuals have previously worked and taken away all the minerals.
Abdul and Sarh believe that fortune could still shine on them and that they will be lucky enough to find some diamonds. Both of them never had the opportunity to go to school, as they were born in a village to parents whose only means of survival has always been mining.
Although Abdul and Sarh never had the opportunity to go to school, they have always admired politicians speaking on the radio and believed in the power of education. With this nagging desire, they sent their children to school. After days, weeks, or months of over-kicking, whatever diamonds they found and sold, they would send some money to their children’s lives in the city to cover lunch and other expenses.
Abdul and Sarh, like educated men and women who work in offices and expect to go to their offices every day with the assurance of receiving their salary at the end of the month, Abdul and Sarh go to the mining site every day with the hope that “God will provide.” They wake up every day optimistic that they will find something when they go out to mine.
A few years ago, Abdul and Sarh were lucky enough to find what they call their biggest diamond. It was around 9 AM in the morning, and they had prepared themselves, saying goodbye to their wives and children for work. With their shovels hanging on their shoulders and a bucket in hand, they prayed and left for work as they do every day.
They arrived at the site, took out their tools, and started working in the mud. Abdul shoveled while Sarh held the shaker and continuously shook it. Shake after shake, until they saw a shining 1-carat diamond in the middle of the shaker. Excited, they emerged from the mud and headed home to share the good news with their families. “The 1-carat diamond was our biggest find in years of working, so we had to celebrate,” Abdul and Sarh exclaimed. They had found their biggest cut, a diamond.
