Perhaps one the best opportunities for K8 and I on our trip to Swaziland was the day we met our sponsored child Bheki. We met him in the park along with other sponsored kids. One of the first things we noticed was Bheki was very shy. He seemed unsure of the day ahead. We were too. The first thing we did together was eat, KFC. Nothing like giving a kid the world’s greasiest lunch (sorry Colonel), when that kid is used to eating porridge and beans. Throughout the meal, and the day for that matter, K8 and I both were curious what he was thinking, because he was so quiet.
During the meal, his teacher came over to us and told us a bit of Bheki’s situation. The teacher told us Bheki’s dad has passed away, his mom is seriously ill and possibly dying, and his sister died this past year. Bheki, like many kids in Swaziland, has had a rough year and life. With the world’s largest per-capita HIV rate, death in Swaziland is a way of life. K8 and I wondered how much of Bheki’s disposition is defined by the loss he has experienced in his life. Along with the pervasive presence of disease in the country, poverty is a general piece of life. As you drive the streets you may see kids going through dumps looking for anything of value, adults loitering for lack of work, and shacks which house up to 10 or more people. In this environment, sponsoring a child can be, as is often, the difference between life and death. The Care Points (community centers) become a life line for the impoverished children. These places do at least 4 things for kids: they provide education for kids who can’t afford to go to school (there’s no public school system), provide medical care, provide daily meals (sometimes these meals are the only meals these kids will receive), and provide after school care. Without sponsorship many of the provisions in these Care Points are unavailable to kids.
The teacher’s explanation helped us as we spent the day with Bheki. After the meal, we played soccer with Bheki and then went shopping. We were able to buy new school shoes for him. He picked some cool ones. For only being 13, Bheki is a man of class. With shoes purchased, Bheki was given $20 to buy whatever he wanted. I figured he would pick a soccer ball or something “fun.” But Bheki chose a cool backpack and school pants. I suppose when you live as Bheki does, that makes sense. The thing is, Bheki was stoked about what he bought. It was fun to see him smile.
After this Bheki and all the kids got ice cream and then we headed home. Throughout the day Bheki became a tiny bit more open. As the day progressed he smiled more. It you look at the photos we took from start to finish, Bheki’s smile gets bigger. That being said, when the bus stopped in his neighborhood, Bheki quickly left. For being a shy kid he did pretty well, but he was excited to be home. I can’t imagine what it is like for an African kid to spend half a day with some strange crackers who constantly are probing you with questions about your life. Whatever he was thinking, it was an awesome experience for us. The day truly personalized our sponsorship. The only downside to the day was that Bheki now has my $2 Ireland shirt. He borrowed it because he got cold. I guess I'll have to go back and wrestle it out of his 13 year old fingers.
After meeting Bheki and hearing his story, I know that the $30 I send each month is making a world of difference for this one child. If you are interested in sponsoring a child check out the link for Mission of Mercy.
During the meal, his teacher came over to us and told us a bit of Bheki’s situation. The teacher told us Bheki’s dad has passed away, his mom is seriously ill and possibly dying, and his sister died this past year. Bheki, like many kids in Swaziland, has had a rough year and life. With the world’s largest per-capita HIV rate, death in Swaziland is a way of life. K8 and I wondered how much of Bheki’s disposition is defined by the loss he has experienced in his life. Along with the pervasive presence of disease in the country, poverty is a general piece of life. As you drive the streets you may see kids going through dumps looking for anything of value, adults loitering for lack of work, and shacks which house up to 10 or more people. In this environment, sponsoring a child can be, as is often, the difference between life and death. The Care Points (community centers) become a life line for the impoverished children. These places do at least 4 things for kids: they provide education for kids who can’t afford to go to school (there’s no public school system), provide medical care, provide daily meals (sometimes these meals are the only meals these kids will receive), and provide after school care. Without sponsorship many of the provisions in these Care Points are unavailable to kids.
The teacher’s explanation helped us as we spent the day with Bheki. After the meal, we played soccer with Bheki and then went shopping. We were able to buy new school shoes for him. He picked some cool ones. For only being 13, Bheki is a man of class. With shoes purchased, Bheki was given $20 to buy whatever he wanted. I figured he would pick a soccer ball or something “fun.” But Bheki chose a cool backpack and school pants. I suppose when you live as Bheki does, that makes sense. The thing is, Bheki was stoked about what he bought. It was fun to see him smile.
After this Bheki and all the kids got ice cream and then we headed home. Throughout the day Bheki became a tiny bit more open. As the day progressed he smiled more. It you look at the photos we took from start to finish, Bheki’s smile gets bigger. That being said, when the bus stopped in his neighborhood, Bheki quickly left. For being a shy kid he did pretty well, but he was excited to be home. I can’t imagine what it is like for an African kid to spend half a day with some strange crackers who constantly are probing you with questions about your life. Whatever he was thinking, it was an awesome experience for us. The day truly personalized our sponsorship. The only downside to the day was that Bheki now has my $2 Ireland shirt. He borrowed it because he got cold. I guess I'll have to go back and wrestle it out of his 13 year old fingers.
After meeting Bheki and hearing his story, I know that the $30 I send each month is making a world of difference for this one child. If you are interested in sponsoring a child check out the link for Mission of Mercy.
No comments:
Post a Comment