Kuto awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside his window. He slowly rose from his bed, feeling the stiffness in his joints from sleeping on the hard ground. It was another day in Gambia, and he knew that it would be filled with work from sunup to sundown. He sighed as he walked over to the basin of water that served as his mirror and began to wash his face.
As he splashed water on his bald head, he thought about how different his life was now than it had been just a few years ago. He used to have a full head of honey blonde hair, but now it was all gone, thanks to the harsh sun and heat of Gambia. His beard had also grown out into a thick, lumberjack-style beard since he'd last shaved. It made him look quite different than the clean-cut young man who'd first arrived in this country.
But there was no time for dwelling on appearances today – Kuto had work to do. He quickly finished getting dressed and grabbed his tools before heading outside into the bright morning sun. His days were long and difficult, but he reminded himself that it was all for a good cause – helping those who were less fortunate than him back home in America.