How di life of one taxi driver change forever afta e return $50,000

Life of Emmanuel Tuloe change forever afta e return $50,000

BBC
Life of Emmanuel Tuloe change forever afta e return $50,000

Di tori of wetin happun to Emmanuel Tuloe from Liberia get di quality of a modern fable.

Di 19-year-old wey wear school uniform (sky blue shirt and navy shorts) look different inside one class wey full of pupils wey dey at least six years younger than im age.

But di one-time primary school dropout dey happy.

Last year, Emmanuel bin dey struggle to earn a living as motorbike taxi driver wen im find $50,000 (£40,000) by di side of di road.

Dis money dey mix with US and Liberian notes and dem wrap for plastic bag.

Emmanuel fit easily pocket dis life-changing amount but e give di money to im aunt to look afta am.

And wen di real owner of di money beg for national radio for pipo to help di cash, Emmanuel come forward.

Some pipo mock am for im honesty – pipo even laugh and tell am e go die poor.

But wetin Emmanuel do bring beta reward wey including di opportunity to enta Ricks Institute wey be one of Liberia most prestigious schools.

President George Weah give am $10,000 and one local media owner also give am cash wey im raise from viewers and listeners.

Di owner of di money wey e find also donate $1,500-worth of goods to Emmanuel.

On top of dis, di one wey big pass na one college for America wey react and offer Emmanuel full scholarship once im complete im secondary education.

‘E dey good to be honest’

Life of Emmanuel Tuloe change forever afta e return $50,000

BBC
Life of Emmanuel Tuloe change forever afta e return $50,000

Thinking about di way some pipo make fun of am for returning di money, Emmanuel tok say e for fit use di money improve im material situation “but e for no fit give me di opportunity wey I get now.

Emmanuel thank God for giving am di rewards and e also dey “grateful to my parents for teaching me to dey honest”.

“And my message to all young pipo na: e dey good to be honest; no dey take wetin no belong to you.”

Di teachers for Ricks appreciate di coming of Emmanuel to di school.

“No be only say we recently benefit from im honesty as a school, e be di second-choice goalkeeper for di school football team,” Mr Bangbeor tok.

Emmanuel na die-hard Chelsea fan, wey dey play for di team alongside students wey dey closer to im age.

Pupils in a classroom

BBC

Classmates to Emmanuel also welcome am for coming to di school.

One 11-year-old Bethlene Kelley, call Emmanuel “great friend wey we like to dey share wit and care for because e dey quiet and e no dey tok too much. E dey loyal, respectful and truthful”.

Caleb Cooper wey be 12 years old appreciate Emmanuel for im conduct inside class and for di dormitory.

“E no dey tiff from friends,” Caleb tok am as e dey laugh.

And from di life wey Emmanuel leave behind, motorcycle taxi drivers no appear like dem dey jealous im new prospects.

Life of one taxi driver change forever afta e return $50,000

Getty images
Motorcycle taxis na common way for young Liberians to earn a living

One of dem, Lawrence Fleming wey be 30 years old, tell BBC say im drop out of school wen e dey ninth grade as a teen and im don closely follow Emmanuel tori.

“Na good thing say Emmanuel don go back to school, we thank God for am,” e tok.

As Lawrence stand by im Chinese-made Boxer motorcycle for one busy crossroads town of Brewerville, west of Monrovia, e give im own word of advice.

“Make im remain for school for im future and di future of im children… e don get opportunity wey some of us no get.”