Tugging at my Heart Strings

I knew before today ever began, that it would be an interesting day, but I didn’t count on how it would be so mentally draining, that my entire body just dragged throughout the afternoon. It began as another morning of sunshine, if this is the rainy season, I’m good with it. Hasn’t rained in the last week and a half, clouds up and occasionally thunders in the distance, but we’ve gotten no rain. The ground is dry and the dust is blowing again.



Stephanie and I left with Siwale about 9:30 to meet the headmaster Robbie Kangua at the House of Moses. We were both excited to go to the House of Moses, we wondered if we would get to see any of the children. The House of Moses is an orphanage for preemie and new born babies through two years. Most of these are high risk babies, whose mother’s die in childbirth. Some are abandoned in front of their gate because the parents can’t care for them.

The House of Moses

We arrived and the guard, who opened the gate, asked who we were there to see. Mr. Robbie Kangua just a moment, he went and came back with Mr. Kangua. He took us back to the offices, and we met Bridget who has worked with the Children’s Alliance for many years. He said that the keys he needed were not here, but someone was bringing them, would we like a tour of the orphanage while we waited. “Oh yes!” We entered through the back door, and on the porch where we entered were 8 automatic washers, and a couple of dryers. The first room we entered was a room lined with shelves around the room, there were a couple of young girls, folding laundry there. Then into the kitchen, where we were introduced to Irene the woman in charge, she gave us the tour. We started in the dining area, where the staff eat and gather. In the front of the house was a large room, used to entertain visitors and guests.


From there we went up stairs to the newborn nursery, there were three tiny babies, who all weighed less than 1.9 kgs at birth, they all looked to be about 3-4 pounds now. They were one to two months old, all sleeping so contentedly. These three babies were in one bed, and then next to them were some of the bigger babies, who looked to be 8-10 pounds and were 3-4 months old. As we walked around the room, each set of cribs, the babies got a little bigger. Irene said they usually move to the next room, by six months unless they have growth problems. I didn’t realize how these tiny little babies would crawl into my heart, I was so thankful that they were being so lovingly cared for. But they were still missing their mother’s love, her nurturing touch, and the sound of her voice. Many of these babies come to the House of Moses, because their mother’s died during childbirth. My heart just ached, for these precious little ones.


Next we went to the room where there were six more cribs all with babies between six months and one year. They were all in their cribs, some sleeping, one crying, and one standing up looking out. The most precious beautiful little faces, looking for a hope and a future. How I wanted to scoop them up and take them home with me, to give them the love and care of a family. When I think of each one of my precious grandchildren, and how blessed they are with parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. How they know no want or no hunger. How their closets are lined with clothes even before they are born. And these little ones, have so little, just a group of caregivers and hand me down clothes, and the small crib they spend so much time in. Yet these are the ones whose lives were spared, who weren’t thrown out with the garbage, or into a pit latreen to die. Someone cared enough to bring them here to these wonderful people, who do the best they can to care for and love and provide for these little ones. Irene picked up the little girl who was crying in her crib, and she kept her in her arms as we finished our tour. Irene just blessed me so, what a giving servant heart, she said she has been part of the House of Moses for ten years, and she doesn’t do it for the money, but just to know that she has made a difference in these little lives.


The room for the children from one to two years was almost empty, the care givers were changing and dressing the last three, the others were all outside getting some fresh air. There were lots of beds lining the walls of that room. My guess would be close to twenty. I asked Irene how many children do they care for, presently they have 37 and 2 are in the hospital. I asked about workers and she said there is always a shortage, but they try to find women to volunteer to help.


Irene shared that most of the children leave by the time of their second birthday. They either go back to a relative, or move to the next level of orphanage care located in other parts of the city, a few are adopted. If their mothers died in childbirth they usually go back to the father at age two. Irene shared that on the brochure she gave us, was a set of twins that had left recently to go be with their father, now that they were bigger. They encourage relatives to come and visit the babies, and bond with them, some come regularly, some occasionally and some never come.


After our tour we were still waiting, so sat and talked with Irene and Robbie about GEMS, and the Esther School. They were so encouraging of what we are doing in Zambia. It didn’t seem to pale in comparison to what they are doing, giving these little ones a chance at a healthy life, living everyday caring for these babies. My coming to Zambia is to easy, I come I give of my time and I return to a great home, wonderful family, cars to take me where ever I want to go and so much stuff! Not much of a sacrifice on my part!


The lady with the keys finally arrived and we climbed in the car with Siwale. I snapped one picture of the caregivers and the children out under a tree, I hadn’t brought my camera inside, but also noticed a sign that asked that you not photograph the children in their rooms.

Children and caregivers under the tree at the House of Moses

We headed across town for Kanyama, my heart still being tugged at by the big eyes and sweet smiles we left behind. Siwale had said Kanyama was a bad area, and he spoke the truth. The homes in much worse condition that in Kalingalinga compound. There were people walking the streets and there were markets on both sides of the road, and the condition of the roads, hard to believe but much worse than in Kalingalinga compound. We slowly, ever so slowly inched along, trying to find the area of the road with the least potholes, which at times was impossible. When you are going that slowly you have time to take lots of things in as you pass. Men gathered under a piece of plastic watching the cars go by, children playing and running in the dirt and garbage, homes with no windows and a curtain for a door. Siwale says the crime here is very high, which made sense when there are no walls, or fences or doors to keep people away. A little boy about two, with no diaper or bottom on, just running with the other children. Children with worn and torn shirts, pants and skirts. Girls doing each other’s hair, and people mostly women, selling almost anything you can imagine. There was one pile of dirty, empty liter bottles, like we get our bottled water in for sale. There were chickens, fish and something that looked like sardines?

We continue down this road, it seemed like forever, as the car scraped bottom and brushed against rocks sticking up in the road. Finally, we turned a corner and Robbie said “See up ahead there, the blue and yellow buildings, that is the Helen DeVos Christian School. We drove up to the gate, and a young man opened it, but we could not drive in, there was too much of a ridge and we were hitting the bottom of the car badly. Siwale said I will park out here, and the young guard said he would watch the car. We entered, the open lot, was a dried mud area, with tracks and ruts from cars driving there when it had rained. The school was in a u-shape around the open area. The original school started in a house that was on the property, and it was in 2007 that funds were received to add an L shaped piece that made the completed U-shape. That part of the school was opened in June 2008.

The Helen DeVos School is a secondary school, grades 7 -12. They have at the present time, just 7-10, in the next school year they will add grade 11 and the following year grade12. They teach all the basics, math, algebra, geometry, sciences, biology, chemistry, physics, along with English, African history, and religious studies. They are using all donated American textbooks, except for the African history and religious studies.

Newest addition to the Helen DeVos Christian School

Science Lab

The library and all the desks and chairs came in a container from the states. All the library books, were American books. They had 8 or 9 computers, but said only 4 were working at the present time. They have their own printer and copy machine, for the school.

Library

They also have a grist mill, where they mill their own corn for the meals that they feed the children. They also grind corn for the community for a fee. That helps them buy other food items for the children’s meals.

Grist Mill

We had a complete tour they wanted us to see every classroom, although most were just the same, and they also wanted to know if we wanted to walk outside around the walls. By this time it was after 1:30 and Steph was feeling a little shaky, so we declined and thanked them graciously for the tour and their hospitality.


We headed out to the car, and inched away down the roads, toward town. Once again, looking at the children playing along the streets, as we drove away, my heart ached with hopelessness for them. We talked about why they put the school in that hard to get at location in this poor, poor compound. Siwale said that there are hundreds and hundreds of kids living in the compound of Kanyama. That a school like that offers hope to some.


Hope, yes there is hope for some. Looking into the eyes of those beautiful babies this morning, because of the care they are receiving at the House of Moses, they may have hope of a normal life some day. Because of a Christian school, tucked away in the back of an awful dirty, destitute compound there will be hope for the students who are privileged to attend there. Because there are Christians who are listening to God’s call and answering His call there is HOPE! How is God calling me to deliver hope to those in need?  Am I really listening?