At the various carepoints visited during the Swaziland trip we saw over 700 children. If it had not been for one day of rainy weather and another day of school exams, the number would have been over 1000. I have a handful of children I met that made a distinct impression on me, or that I found myself overcome with compassion.
This first little man has a very bright smile. I remember him, because this is the first little face that I saw when I came out of the van.
In fact, I could hardly get out of the van because this little guy was standing right in front of the door with his head tilted back and smiling face beaming up at me. As I gently worked myself into a space next to him on the ground, this little guy reached for my hand, and walked with me toward the community building at Balekane. I will never forget the warm welcome he gave to me.
The next child is a little girl who you may see in many pictures of the members of our team. I wish I could remember her name, because she walked up to me and said in English, “My name is ____, I am six years old, I am a girl.” as she gracefully placed her hand on her chest while she spoke.
She is a precious little girl. She loved to be held, or sit next to us. She was one of the last children to leave Balekane carepoint. The kids have to get to their homes before dark. As she walked away on her bare feet, it was hard to imagine if she had a parent or no one waiting for her at home.
The last child I interacted with at Balekane is this nine year old boy. His name had a Siswati click sound in it. He really impressed me with his ability to communicate in English. His mother is one of the people who helps at Balekane carepoint. At first he asked me to help him find his backpack. I pointed him to one laying near the soccer field. He came back to talk some more, and it was time for me to leave or be left. I was impressed by his last two remarks. He did not ask me if we could be friends or if I would like to be his friend. He simply said, “I want you to be my friend.”
He was quite sure about it. No reservations or insecurity of thought. Frankly, it made me feel good like I was in second grade again, and had someone make me his friend as soon as I walked in the room as the new kid. I said I was glad to be friends with him. Then he asked, “When are you coming back?” I could not give him a definite answer, but I told him I would be back sometime in the next several months. As I mentioned, I had to jump into the van or be left, and I felt a drag on my heart as we drove away, and I waved goodbye to my new friend. The desire to stay and visit longer was strong.
Meeting the children made me understand how important just being there is. It gives great hope and communicates that they are valued. I did not go to receive anything in return, but I did. I felt honored and humbled to be known by them for a little while. By their desire to just be with me and relate. I hope everyone gets a chance to go. Being there allows you to know what may be difficult to fully describe. I really can’t I guess because each person is effected in a personal way.
I look forward to getting our letters started with the children of our Ludlati Carepoint. And I can hardly wait to meet them face to face. I also look forward to sharing more kids and stories from my trip over the next few posts.
