“Siyabonga, Asante, Thank you.”
Gratitude transcends language. You see it, you feel it, and it’s a common birthing place for hope to rise. This quarter, we’ve seen hope rising as realities shift from being lost to finding direction, neglect to belonging, and fear to confidence.
In a rural community, Nosipho is one of the children who comes as a representative of her family to collect their monthly food parcel. Nosipho and her siblings have been struggling since their mother passed away, as they were left with an absent and neglectful father. But as Nosipho continues to receive her monthly food parcel, she and her siblings no longer feel neglected. They feel welcomed and supported by their community and their extended family. They now know that they belong to something bigger than themselves.
Our local team has seen an increasing need for nutrition in their community and took it upon themselves to plant a field of maize meal corn. In May, Nosipho and the other children who attend the program helped to bring in the harvest and then celebrated their accomplishment by sharing lunch together.
The reality is that there is an ongoing need for basic nutrition in many of the communities where we work. The increasing food prices and high unemployment rates have left families in a cycle of hopelessness. However, in this same reality we also see leaders, communities, and even children binding together to do more and hope for more.
Your contribution is more than just a meal – it values the vulnerable, encourages collaboration, and strengthens communities. And for children like Nosipho, it’s the difference between feeling neglected and knowing she belongs. Thank you.
