Dear Friends,
Perched in Cobbitty’s safe summer sigh, I feel an urge to write and encourage.
In our little corner of the world, we are not immune to having our lives upended. At such times, we hug our loved ones longer, we profess our love more willingly, perhaps we forgive inconveniences more graciously. In our individual and collective processions of hardship and sorrow we mull over Spurgeon’s words… ‘The road to sorrow has been well trodden, it is the regular sheep track to heaven…’. In our times of prayer we chide ourselves to not ask God for a lighter load to carry, but instead, for stronger backs. We posture towards gratitude. We count our blessings and look for the purple flower, or the lilt of a particular bird, as we shift our thoughts away from ourselves and towards others. Perhaps towards souls that we may never meet.
The shift moves us across a vast ocean where an arid summer has crawled to a close. African landscapes are exceptionally blistered and food is not forthcoming from fields. Ukraine’s war and COVID’s wake continue to strip both laughter and life from Africa. Life for many has never felt as bleak .
Despite this, in a cleft of a mountain, AAF’s long term partner Vusi has found a need for newborns to school-aged children to be cared for while caregivers complete school or find work. Responding to the need, Vusi and his wife Bongi gathered some mature village women and drove them to “childhood development training”. Cajoled into an empty, unfurnished, unplumbed, church hall, 29 little ones crowded in. Empty of toys, nappies, running water, toilet or kitchen, yet full with shrieks of joy, spontaneous song and the endless thump of a shared cover ball. Children gobbling oat gruel prepared on open fires by trustworthy adults. Children gaining strength, and learning toileting skills and how to wash their hands in a bucket. Children learning how to hold a crayon before school starts. Tears are wiped by loving hands. Agape.
We are dreaming big for these 29 children, and the countless children we long to see in safe spaces such as this creche. This is our vision…
- A rain tank to secure the children’s water supply.
- A toilet that will flush.
- A food bank so that children can have a serve of protein daily (Peanut butter / beans ), and a serve of fruit or vegetable.
- Life skills developed early, as “its never too early to start doing what’s right” (as my husband says)
- A purpose built room with cots, a kitchen and areas to separate the different aged children.
Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter, and partnering with AAF in our vision for these young lives. We remain indebted to our faithful supporters without who, 29 little ones would be without hope and a future.
With great thanks and boundless hopes
Jane