As I sat in my room on my very first day in the village, I heard a knock on my door and my host brother entering the room, introducing himself as Khadim, and holding cans of soda for me and my roommate Angelina. Our host brother Khadim has been the person we’ve relied on most this whole trip. He walked us to service our first few days when we didn’t yet know the village, taught us how to play soccer, and introduced us to all his friends and neighbors. He’s been the person we’ve spent most of our time with, and as our trip is coming to an end I sat down with him to do a quick interview to learn more about his life.

Khadim starts off each day helping his dad out with work, such as taking care of the cows, goats, chickens, and pigeons or working on construction projects. After that he eats breakfast and hangs out at his friends’ house for a little bit before returning home to get ready for soccer practice. He then ends each day eating dinner and hanging out in front of his house with his family and neighbors. 

Khadim emphasized the importance of him following the rules and making sure his siblings are doing well. He’s also in charge of all of the animals in their backyard, making sure they are well fed and taken care of. His biggest responsibility is helping his parents with anything they need, from cleaning to watching the other kids. 

He explained that his school is his favorite place in the village because it gives him the opportunity to pursue his education and gain more work opportunities. Although Khadim hopes to stay with his family when he’s older, he wants to work in business, so going to school and taking the Baccalaureate exam in a few years will help him reach that goal.

Khadim is always wearing soccer jerseys, watching Real Madrid games, and kicking a soccer ball around, so when he told me his dream is to become a professional soccer played it made a lot of sense. Although he loves soccer, he explained that if he becomes a pro, he hopes to use the money he makes to support his parents. 

When I asked him who his biggest role model is, Khadim chose his dad, as he is the person he works with each morning. He stated that his dad is very nice and shares everything he has with others, and Khadim hopes to live that way as well.

– Ziyada