Friday

Ty and Annie Day 6 & 7:
Today was a very hard day with a very special ending.  This morning we awoke early to take Beish (our Swazi program director for the “Sanitation across Swaziland” soap/hygiene project) and Ms. Phumzile (the head of housekeeping at Sibane Hotel – and the collector of our used soaps) to the radio station.  My friend and radio personality Bobo wanted to highlight us as a team that is giving back to the orphans in rural communities and ask for the general Swazi public’s help to donate their used bars of soap as well.  The morning was fun as Beish and Phumzile were very nervous and excited to become radio celebrities!
Then we hurried to fetch Lungelo, our amazing university student who has been suffering from severe chest pains for 2 months and is worried that it is a result of TB, the disease that murdered his father.  We drove him to the Mbabane Government Hospital.  The good thing about the hospital is that no matter what is wrong with you, you only owe $1 US.  The bad thing is that the queue is always about 200 people long.  I was worried that we may have to wait until tomorrow – or maybe next year – to be seen and meanwhile be waiting in a small confined room with a lot of highly infectious patients.  So, we decided to try Mbabane Clinic.  Imagine a posh private hospital in Beverly Hills. Yes, it is that nice… and expensive.  We only had one (white) family ahead of us and were almost immediately taken to the laboratory.  They took Lungelo’s blood and sent it off to be tested in South Africa.  They said that the test is so sensitive that not only will the test report if Lungelo has been exposed (we already know he has been from his father), but also whether or not he has an active form of the disease and what treatment regimen would be most helpful in curing him.  He is very worried as his father had a curable form of TB but he stopped the 6 month treatment early because he was feeling better and then developed the multi-drug resistant strain and soon died.  Prayers are welcomed for Lungelo’s results!

Lungelo stayed behind and helped us wash used soaps all day as a thank you.  He didn’t need to do that but we enjoyed his company and learning about how his schooling has been.  I cannot believe our little (now giant 6’2”) boy already has a semester of university under his belt! Lungelo then helped us make deliveries to child-headed homes.  At Mazwi & Philo’s home, they had a special envelope for me.  When I opened it, I was almost in tears.  One item was Mazwi’s report card.  He was position 3 this year out of 49 students! This is quite an accomplishment for he is sick and has to miss a lot of schooling due to his HIV status and subsequent illnesses.  He studies hard and works even harder fetching firewood, raising egg-laying hens, and planting crops.  Absolutely everything about this little boy who stole my heart 8 years ago makes me smile – I am so proud of him!!!!!!!!!! The other item was a letter from our sweet Philo (his sister).  I still remember when she was just a little girl only 8 years old who rarely smiled and was very timid.  Now she sings, dances, laughs, and smiles about once every millisecond.  She is 16 and entering high school (a few years behind as she’d never been to school until we found her).  She is a very hardworking sweet girl who dreams of being a police woman! Keep in mind that she is still learning English…the letter reads:
“Hello best friend.  I wanna say how special that you are to me.  I love you but I don’t even know how much.  When I’m with you I feel like I have my both parents the way you give special care of me and my siblings.  You are my best friend forever I really love you.  With love, Philo”

I am always so grateful to our donors.  Most of our donors have never been to Swaziland and have never had the opportunity to meet our incredible children – yet you still give your time and hard-earned money to make their lives better.  I always say that I do this selfishly.  I give myself to them because their happiness is my happiness.  I give myself to them because I love them like a child, sister, or brother.  I give myself to them because they have given themselves to us and trust us to keep them safe, nourished, healthy, educated, and loved.  Thank you for your selflessness.  They (and I) appreciate it more than you will ever know.  Siyabonga.

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