May 15, 2014
When we first arrived at Mkhombokati I began to wonder whether our work here is helpful. There are so many people living in poverty here, and the children came to play and get food from the bomake before us. Over the next couple of days I was reminded of a story a friend of mine told me once about a man who, walking along the seashore at low tide one evening, began to throw starfish dying on the shore back into the sea. There were hundreds of thousands of starfish dying there on the shore. Another man passing said, “you will never be able to throw them all back in; why are you bothering? You are able to save so few, it doesn’t really matter.” The man picking up starfish answered, “To this one it matters,” as he threw that starfish back into the sea.
Tonight I was able to visit the home of the child my family sponsors. It was a wonderful visit. I found out that Mncobi lives with his two older sisters, his older and younger brothers, his mother, his grandmother and his great grandmother. They live in two circular, one-room, cinder block huts. Because we were able to visit his home, we were able to bring his family maize, beans, oil, sugar, peanut butter, salt, mielie meal, rice, fish, olives, and a bunch of other foods intended to last a month. As I shook the hand of Mncobi’s mother, Make Mkhalifi, I could see in her eyes that this food made a difference. I know now that coming all this way to give food and love to children who have so little really does make a difference. To this one, it matters.
--Jennifer
