Tumbo finds 'always something more' in U.S.

 

By Mary Albl for DyeStat

 

As a freshman on the Clarkston High boys cross country team in Clarkston, Ga. Bineyam (Ben-e-yum) Tumbo was given the nickname “The Mayor.”

 

In his first season on the roster, he fit in instantaneously. Calling him the ambassador of the team, head coach Wesley Etienne said he came in like he was always there.

 

“He has this old soul,” Etienne said. “He’s always thinking of someone else.”

 

Maybe that’s part of the reason the 17-year-old Tumbo has been able to fully embrace moving nearly 8,000 miles from his home country of Ethiopia to the United States six years ago and find success.  

 

“You can always do more,” Tumbo said of what he’s learned. 

 

Call it luck or call it fate, but the first time Tumbo’s father Debebe Lambamo entered the lottery, he won.

 

Living in Hosaena, Ethiopia at the time, Lambamo filled out an application with the Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) Program, which would give him a green card and an opportunity to reside in the U.S.  

 

Tumbo said his father entered the lottery for a chance to change and improve the family's prospects. 

 

According to the government website, the Department of State conducts a random selection of the applicants, based on allocations of available visas in each region, from the registered entries. 

 

Lambamo’s application was selected.  

 

Tumbo explained his father moved to Gwinnett County in Georgia in 2001. He currently works as a taxi driver. 

 

The region of Georgia Lambamo gravitated to is a focal point where refugees from all across the globe have come to gain a foothold on opportunity. (That's been happening for nearly 20 years. Today, as Europe roils with hundreds of thousands of displaced immigrants, nations all over the world are trying to stave off a humanitarian crisis. The U.S. State Dept. announced it would increase refugee admissions to 100,000 in 2017.)

 

“I don’t know if he celebrated (winning the lottery) because I was three years olds when he came here,” Tumbo explained. “I think he heard it was a good place to change your life and he did change his family and himself. It’s a matter of wanting more for his family.” 

 

Tumbo explained the process took nine years, as Lambamo earned enough money to send back to Ethiopia so that others in the family could join him in Georgia.  

 

For Tumbo, the sobering reality meant trading a beloved homeland for a better lifestyle and future.  

 

"I was very excited and I liked the idea but realized I would be leaving family and friends,” he said.

 

Life in Hosaena, Ethiopia wasn’t easy. Tumbo said his family struggled economically and they didn’t have much.  One thing that he treasured that was free was the game of soccer. It was his passion. 

 

“A typical day back in Ethiopia was: Go to school, come home and eat my lunch, go back and play soccer. If it was summer, it was soccer all day,” he said.

 

More unorganized than the American game, soccer in Ethiopia, Tumbo explained, was played with anything they could get their feet on.   

 

“If it was plastic or rubber, whatever ball we could find and play with,” he said. 

 

Tumbo said he and his friends trekked further into town if they wanted a grass surface. Most of the time their games were played on dirt, gravel or rock. 

 

Those soccer memories are in the distant past now though. Tumbo hasn’t been to Ethiopia since he left. He flew to the United States in 2009 with his older sister and brother. 

 

His mom, Zenebech Danore and 13-year-old sister Netsanet still live in Ethiopia.  

 

He said they are trying to move to the United States soon.

 

“She (my mom) should be here for my graduation,” Tumbo said in an encouraging tone. 

 

Tumbo, a junior, will graduate in 2017.  

 

The last time he spoke with his mom was two weeks ago. The chance to communicate is not frequent, so he makes the most of them.

 

“She is very proud of me,” he said. 

 

While the move to Georgia for Tumbo and his siblings meant a more promising future, it required adjustment. 

 

“I thought everyone was rich and lived well, and that’s not the case,” Tumbo said of his impressions of the United States. 

 

Tumbo, who lives with his dad, brother Leiso (20), sister Hanna (21) and baby sister Ersame (2), said education was one of the main differences.  

 

“Education is more focused here,” he said. “School is a big priority.” 

 

The learning curve though wasn’t a giant barrier for Tumbo. He picked up English in three months, and he’s currently involved in the dual enrollment program, which allows him to earn college credit. 

 

Twice a week he attends Georgia Perimeter College in Clarkston. The Georgia Perimeter College Move on When Ready program allows eligible high school students to attend college without paying tuition, non-course related fees and books. (Similar to programs in other states).

 

“There’s not one teacher in school that doesn’t enjoy having him in their presence,” Etienne said of Tumbo. “He’s always one to help out. If we got some free time, he’s helping out some other students.”

 

In the six years he’s been in the United States, Tumbo has welcomed a new lifestyle and found a family within the cross country team at Clarkston.

 

Tumbo said he joined the team with Leiso so they could have something to do together outside of soccer. 

 

 “I like the diversity,” he said. “The girls and boys, we all come from different backgrounds but we are all here for the same reason.”

 

The two were part of the 2013 state runner-up team. Leiso graduated in 2014. Tumbo, went on to help Clarkston win its first state championship last year. 

 

While there’s been many new adventures, Tumbo has stayed true to his roots. Soccer, the game he grew up playing, is still his love. 

 

Tumbo said all of his teammates who have come to Clarkston from someplace else, as refugees or lottery winners,never forget what life was like before moving to the United States. Those memories, good and bad, serve as everyday sparks that ignite and motivate each and every one of them. 

 

“We talk about our past and where we come from,” Tumbo said. “You are your past and present. You have to remember where you come from and who you were, because that is who you are and what made you who you are today.” 

 

Two weeks ago, after leading Clarkston to a first place team finish in the 4A/5A division at the Carrollton Orthopedic Invitational, he raced off to play in a soccer game a few hours later. 

 

Tumbo plays for KSA (Kalonji Soccer Academy) U19, which is on a near year-round schedule.  

 

He said they take a break for the school soccer season. 

 

Etienne said many of the kids on the team grew up with the game, so it’s often a struggle to make sure they stay injury-free during cross country season. 

 

Last year the coach told his team that if it could refrain from soccer throughout cross country season he would personally roll out balls for them after the state meet. 

 

“As soon as we won the state championship, we definitely kept our promise, we rolled out the soccer balls and they were happy,” Etienne said. “They all love soccer.”

 

Tumbo said he has plans to attend college and play soccer at the collegiate level and beyond. 

 

“Running or not, Bineyam would be successful,” Etienne said. “He definitely has that ‘It’ factor and work ethic to be successful.” 

 

The Clarkston team motto, ‘Faith, Focus, Fight and Finish’ is one Tumbo has been living every day. He said moving to American gave him the realization of exceeding what he once thought was his limit. 

 

“It opened my eyes to the possibility of more,” he said. “I mean look at (President) Obama. He’s the first African American president. You can do more and be more; anything is possible, you just have to believe.”