Day 1:
As I start to sit down and write today from my journal that
my future mother-in-law gave me, I glance at the inscription that says “Do your
little bits of good where you are, it’s those little bits of good put together
that overwhelm the world.” (Desmond Tutu)
Sometimes when you are in the midst of doing those “little bits” you
wonder if you’re making a real tangible difference… but then you look at the
children’s eyes who are the recipients of those little teeny tiny bits of good and
you realize that if you are doing nothing more than giving those 1,300 children
the knowledge that they are loved, special, and powerful – that is perhaps the
most important thing.
Today I met Bendulo… whom I will from now on call Ben
because I kept trying to unsuccessfully pronounce his name…and with whom I fell
in LOVE with all capital letters at first snore and fart (he’s currently
constipated). As we were delivering food
(thank you Mitali/Foodom!) to our child-headed homes, we stopped at the Msibi
home where I met the gorgeous baby boy (born of a very sad rape situation) and saw
Nomfundo, one of our first GHFP sponsored child-headed household orphans, who
is a very happy doting mother for this healthy little bundle of double chin
blubber. As I grow up over 7 years of
doing this, I finally realize that our kids are too. These orphans who were (in my eyes) only
babies 7 years ago are now adults and their needs are so much greater. Rather than simple school supplies, books,
and perhaps solar energy for studying that we’ve been providing – now they are
in need of careers, serious money, and support for their future. That’s when I have to remind myself of those
little bits of good…
When we delivered a new solar panel system to the Maziya
family (Mazwi and Philo’s previous solar panel bit the dust), we were met with
a pleasant surprise – the most amazing older brother Samkelo!! The perfect
sight of him almost brought tears to my eyes.
This is the young man with a 4th grade education who dropped
out of school to take care of his siblings (one with a severe case of HIV/AIDS
(Mazwi)) and provide everything he can for them while sacrificing himself. He is the biggest hearted and hardest working
person I know. He told us he lost his
job at the local mall as the overnight security man and since then food has
been scarce so he is thrilled with the delivery of Foodom rice, beans, brown
sugar, oil, canned fish, and baked beans.
This will sustain the tiny child-headed family until he is able to
(hopefully) secure another job. I cannot
WAIT to see Mazwi and Philo (brother and sister) tomorrow at school when we are
cooking and disseminating the GHFP/Foodom sponsored school lunch to the 634
children at eLangeni Primary School.
Then we went to our eLangeni Primary School where we will be
working tomorrow as a team. As we were
delivering the items to cook tomorrow’s school lunch, we were summoned into the
head teacher’s office where a surprise thank you ceremony took place. They lined us up and one by one tied on a
traditional Swazi wrap to thank us for the work we have done at their school
over the last 7 years. I am so very
thankful for the gesture but my favorite way to receive thanks was after we
walked outside. The kids all ditched their
classrooms (sorry teachers!) to bombard us as human jungle-gyms! One of our little ones, who recently graduated
from our pre-school and who is now in Grade One, Nolwethu, grabbed my hand and
leaped into my arms with the most enormous smile. Just when you think you are putting a bandaid
on cancer…emptying an ocean with a thimble…you are reminded from the firm grasp
of a child’s hand and the sheer excitement in their smile of those little itty
bitty bits of good…
Today I encourage you to do something (even if you see it as
a tiny gesture) for someone else. I
almost guarantee that you will reap more from it than you sow… And despite that
almost selfish motive or nature, you will still be making the world a better
place for all to live.
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