“Consider the lilies of the field…” Matthew 6:28

Monday 4 August 2008

Today began the home visits for the students attending the OMNI School. August is a “holiday” month for the school children in Zambia. Teddy, our long-time teacher, suggested we visit this month so as not to interrupt the children’s schooling. The challenge will be to find the children at home. For some the holiday means a time to visit grandparents or parents who live far away, for some of the younger children it’s a time to visit and play with friends and relatives in George, for some of the boys it’s a time to trap as many rats as possible – earning a bit of money by selling the rats for food, and as always it’s a time for work – making the long walk to the grinding mill, constructing mud bricks for home repairs, tilling the land, and fetching water.

I packed my backpack this morning with paper and pens to record information and take family histories and my camera to photograph the children and their families. Then I packed worm medication, anti-fungal cream, triple antibiotic ointment, band-aids, alcohol wipes, rubber gloves, birthing kits, and cough drops hoping to be able to address some of the family’s needs while visiting. Teddy met me at 8am and we were off walking. This is without a doubt one of my favorite times here in Zambia. It is such a privilege to walk through the village of George and greet our children and their families. It is a privilege to see where our children live, how they live, who they live with, and hear their guardians’ comments and concerns. And it fills my heart to overflowing to know we are welcome here – OMNI and Ron and I. We were greeted by nearly everyone we passed along the way, people calling out their welcome from their homes and from neighboring trails when they would see us. Most of the children in our school now know my name, so all day I was answering the waves and calls of smiling children “Mary Sue, how are you?” Teddy was answering the calls of the adults, each one wanting to make sure we would visit their home too.

Caregivers expressed their gratitude to OMNI for bringing education to their children and this community, stating that they simply cannot afford to send their children to a government school. As one grandmother said, without OMNI her grandchildren would not be receiving an education, a chance for a future, they would be just be loitering. Now they have a chance for the future, a chance to secure a job, and a chance to help the village be lifted up. They also were thanking us for providing a meal each day for their children – for some children the only meal they receive. The children and their guardians also expressed their gratitude to the sponsors who help to make this education and feeding program possible, and for their letters. The children and their caregivers look forward to that letter so much, and to the photos the sponsors send of themselves and their families. Letters are not common in the bush of Zambia and so that is a real treat which the entire family shares in.

Today was also especially gratifying to witness the interaction of our teacher Teddy, or should I say our beloved teacher Teddy, with the children and their families. He loves the children – all the children – and they love him. Even little ones not in school, come to him and while I’m not sure what they are saying, they are soon laughing together. And when a child’s guardian brings forward a problem or health issue I can see the genuine concern in his expression and the gentle touch of his hand on a child’s shoulder.

What touched my heart most today was the visit to the home of James Maganizo, our fourth home today. James is one of the sweetest boys I have ever known. During school days he always greets me with his shy little smile, head tilted down, and hand outstretched. Today was no different. When we arrived at his home his mother hurried inside to find a seat for Teddy and I as James greeted us with the traditional Zambian handshake and tiny curtsey. The difference today was he was not dressed in his school uniform. He was in his usual, every day clothes, and I couldn’t help but want to cry. His clothes were worn and torn, his pants did not fit properly and he had no shoes. Yet he had the biggest smile I ever saw. His mother, Veronica, soon came out with a chair for me covered with a lace edged cloth, and a small wooden bench about ten inches long and eight inches from the ground for Teddy. The best she had for her guests. As she moved the chair close to me and said “You can take a seat please” I noticed how the thin legs of the chair wobbled to and fro and the deeply worn red velvet upholstery under the laced cloth. I said “Twatotela” (we thank you) and carefully sat down as she offered her hand in welcoming friendship along with a deep curtsey.

It was oftentimes difficult for me to focus on the questions we were asking as I looked at this mother and child and their surroundings. James’ mother wore a shirt much too large for her slim frame. The shirt was held together in several places with safety pins, and the chitenge wrapped around her waist was faded by the years and worn. Their home was neat in appearance, the dirt yard still remaining with traces of the lines from having been swept with the elephant grass broom. As with all the homes in George, there is no electricity and no running water. The tiny mud brick home has been painted, using dirt containing clay mixed with water to create the decorative reddish orange trim at the bottom of the structure. While we don’t see anything you could call plentiful here in George, this home was stark by comparison to most. The roof was covered with the typical thatching, but the grass was sparse. The underlying plastic on the roof meant to keep rain out was missing in many places, having suffered the effects of the wind and rain and heat. There was no shelter for the cooking area, just an open fire near the front of the house where several small logs were burning slowly and a tiny black pot was perched directly in the center of the low flames. There was a small plastic tub at the front of the house where she had been washing their few clothes. There were no curtains or chitenges, not even an empty sack hanging in the windows or doorways which is customary here. There was a wood door at the front entrance, but it fell short of reaching the top of the doorway by nearly a foot.

James’ mother was very pleasant and soft-spoken. She answered each question to the best of her ability, slowly and thoughtfully, and was ready with James’ clinic card to show us he had received all of his vaccinations and that his recorded birth date is the 20th of October 1997. James is a single orphan. His mother explained that his father was attacked by criminals and killed in 2001. James has seven older half-brothers and sisters and one half-brother who died at the age of eight from yellow fever. His mother, Veronica was born in 1952 and has been ill for the past four years from a variety of causes – swelling of the face, fever, chest pains and the like. She and James go to the medical clinic at Twapia when they are ill, but care there is limited. Teddy told me that there have been many times she has been very ill. When the parents and guardians helped to clear a piece of land she was too sick to help and her elder daughter came and did the work, but Veronica came and was there. She is a responsible mother doing the best she can for her son. We discovered that they usually eat only once a day – nshima (the staple food of corn meal cooked with water) and some few vegetables, usually the ones which grow wild here. When she is able, she buys tomatoes and onions from the market and sells in George where there is no market, in order to earn a little money. When I asked if she had any questions for me or anything she would like to tell me her only reply was to express her gratitude for the education OMNI is providing for her child. Without the OMNI School James would not be able to attend school. And she is grateful for the meal he receives every day at school – she can see is healthier now. And in the traditional Zambian manner, she clapped her hands together and thanked me for visiting her.

This family I think is among the poorest of the poor. Yet they asked for nothing. There was nothing but gratitude in Veronica’s heart. She welcomed me. She thanked OMNI. She thanked me. My heart was breaking when we finally said good-bye. I have tremendous respect for Veronica. I respect her strength, her courage, her determination, and her dedication to her son. I think I can learn a lot from Veronica and James. Rest assured, we will be returning with clothing and shoes for both mother and son. Tonight I will be saying an extra prayer for James and his mother, and all the families here in such great need. And I’ll also be saying a prayer of thanksgiving – for the sweet, sweet smile of James and that God has blessed him with this special mother.