On the eastern side of Eswatini in the small village of Bhaveni lives a strong 15 year old girl, Alishia (fake name for safety). She is full of joy, so many friends at the care point, and a beautiful smile. We took a photoshoot together in which laughter and joy just exuded from her! But in her eyes you could tell there was more, something deeper, something harder to find laughter in, something harder to ignore. Less than a week ago Alishia’s step mother, who was her care taker and provider, will not be around anymore. Alishia will be the one now to help lead their child headed home, full of 6 children. She has an older brother, who helps, but is still in school. She wishes she was able to go to school, but money won’t allow for it. So, she spends a lot of her days at the carepoint. She opened up and told me all this while I held her usually goofy, but now crying three year old brother, Moses (fake name). He has been my buddy since the start the cutest dancer, dirt artist, sweaty napper, and best smiler. He usually takes naps on me because he has to walk so far from his house to the care point— a thirty minute walk. He was crying because of many sores all over his back side that were giving him so much pain that he didn’t want to be picked and had a hard time sleeping. Alishia told she was sad for him, but had no extra money to send him to the clinic to get help. Her friend, who is also 15, shared with me that she also lived in a child headed homestead with her 10 year old brother. The friend cared so much about the little boy with sores and was telling me she was hoping to figure out how to get help. It was sweet to see how together they walk hand in hand fighting the unfair challenges the world places on them. Hearing their stories broke my heart, I wanted to do everything in my power to help them. Playing with Moses and seeing his smile through the pain and telling the girls how much I cared and loved them planted little seeds of hope. That’s the goal of this whole thing is to be the example of Jesus and give a renewed hope to their hurting hearts. And to remind them of the biggest hope and never failing love of Jesus Christ our savior!
02/27/24 here’s a little update we aren’t allowed to just hand out money, so I talked to the shepherd of the care point and she shared that AIM would help with the cost if someone responsible could take them to the clinic. So I relayed this info to the two girls. Today he did go to the clinic, but at this point the infection is much worse. They gave him some medication. My team and I did what we could with the first aid kit ( it helps that many of us are lifeguard trained) and prayed over him and his sister. Please be praying for him that he can sleep even through the pain and for his sister who now has a swollen foot and can’t walk well. Also if you would like to help these kids specifically, they are not yet in the system to be sponsored but many others are. This helps to financially provide for their needs and you get to write them as well! (sponsors are called special friends). Go to https://sponsorship.adventures.org/?_ga=2.242775360.353038454.1709061567-2041199489.1708951649!
Would love to see these financial needs rallied around. How can we come alongside?
Oh, Bella, how will these young ones find a way to raise their brothers and sisters? What are God’s answers for them? Are there no churches or ministries to help provide for these outside of Care Point.?
I cannot imagine how your heart must break for them, Sweetheart. So young for them to be bearing such heavy burdens…unimaginable to those of us who have never seen such deep heaviness of spirit. He says to bear one another’s burdens. Thank you for calling us to pray for them. Thank you for loving them well and carrying some of their load in your heart, Bella Grace.