So most of you know, my wife and I have a huge desire to be a part of what God is doing in Botswana, Africa. We probably would be living there/would have lived there had life not thrown us a few wonderful curve balls named Elijah and Norah. It is still very much a passion of ours to be the hands and feet of Christ in an area where the need is as great as anywhere in the world. Yet, at the same time we know that God is asking us for now to be still and wait on his timing.
It’s been a bit of a conundrum. I’m working a job that I’m not in love with. We’re stuck
in a bit of rut. So, we’ve decided the only thing holding us back from doing what we love is ourselves. We’re dreaming big. It’s a bit scary. It’s even more unsettling. But mostly, it’s really invigorating, refreshing, and full of hope.
We’ve got a couple of different ideas circulating round in our heads. There’s one in particular that I find really exciting that I wanted to throw out and see what the old blogosphere thought of it. I’m hoping for some suggestions, ideas, corrective criticism, reality checks…. Here goes:
You’re probably well aware of the fact that the physical needs of the Southernmost part of Africa are HUGE. Largely due to the AIDS pandemic there are unfathomable amounts of poverty, children living as orphans, sickness, etc. If you’re not familiar with what’s going on, you need to be. I firmly believe it’s the obligation of all people of faith to take care of the poor, the sick, the orphaned. It’s one of the most central themes of Scripture. The need in Africa is outstanding. Prayer is one of the biggest needs. So pray, it’s a way that everyone can be involved. Pray big things. Our God is capable. If you need a better understanding of what’s going on. Pick up this book (the Awake project – you can get it for .36 cents on Amazon).
In Old Naledi, Botswana there’s this terrible cycle. A child’s parents die of AIDS’ related illness. The child is passed on to a relative who already is probably struggling to get by or the child ends up on the streets. The child can’t afford basic essentials that allow them to finish school, let alone go to university. Child falls through the cracks and due to lack of education winds up unable to find a job or at best a very menial one. Now an adult, the child lives in extreme poverty and is at a MUCH higher risk to contract HIV. The adult has children. Children fall into the same cycle of poverty.
That’s not always how it goes. But it happens a lot. Even with parents, the child is living in EXTREME poverty. Of the sorts that I could never understand it if I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes. (Yet the believers there live with a hope in God like I’ve never seen – but that’s another post).
In Manhattan, I’ve found a lot of people who are passionate about seeing change in the lives of these children. They want to see justice served in the lives of these kids. They want to give out of the abundance of their blessing to help someone in Old Naledi have a hope and future.
So here’s the dream: Erine and I set up a non-profit organization that connects people here in the States with specific children in Old Naledi. We find people/organizations who will donate from their abundance to meet the basic needs of these kids. Money to provide uniforms so that these kids can go to school (no uniform = no schooling int Bots) ,to provide an entire set of school supplies to each sponsored child each year, to allow for at least one doctor’s visit and one dentist visit ever year, to ensure they have a place with power at night time so that they can do their take home studies, anti-retrovirual meds if necessary, etc. It really wouldn’t take a lot each year. A menial amount to most of us. Probably less each year than our silly economic stimulus checks we’re getting from President Bush. If one or two or three groups of people would sponsor a kid, we’re probably talking less than most people spend on designer coffee at Starbucks each month.
An insignificant amount to you, life changing amount to kids in Old Naledi.
I would also try to organize at least one trip to Old Naledi a year that provided an optional opportunity to go to Old Naledi and do a humanitarian based project (i.e. go fix something for the Tlamelo project, help build the dreamed children’s community center, etc.) and meet the child they’re sponsoring.
Isn’t there a group that does something just like this you ask?
Good question. There is a group of people who does something like this. But not exactly the same. One such group is called Compassion International. And they do AMAZING work! But, my idea is different. They take kids from all over the world and find them sponsors. Their idea is awesome and works well. With Er and my idea, we’ll be targeting a whole community and ideally rather than changing just one life in one community – we’ll change an entire community. And if we find more people wanting to sponsor kids than we have kids in Old Naledi – we’ll move to another slum on the outskirts of Gaborone, Botswana. And then another. And then another. Until every child in Gaborone and the surrounding areas had at least the opportunity to have a better future.
Change because folks across the pond valued their community enough to offer education, basic needs, and medical support.
A huge dream? Totally. An impossible one? No way. And I’d love to devote my time and talents to seeing that it happen.
But the questions that plauge my mind are: Where do we get the upstart money? How to we become registered as a non-profit? Can I devote myself to this full time and still pay my bills? Where to we start? Is this some sort of ridiculous, overly idealistic dream? Is this what God wants me to do with my time?
Help.
