On Tuesday I went to the hospital and stayed in the children’s ward the
whole time. Helelo Improved a lot over this past week so she was able to go
home with her mother. I visited with the woman who had a baby next to Helelo’s
bed. Her name was Noela Mikango and she was there with her neighbor’s six week
old daughter. Noela lives in the appartment next to Salima’s mother and helped
take care of Salima and her two brothers Gaby (2) and Nehemiah (5). The doctor
came over to explain the baby’s condition to me.
I learned that this baby’s mother, Mhake (Si’Swati word for mother) Bwendwa
had passed away last Tuesday. After she gave birth to her child, Salima
Bwendwa, Mhake Bwendwa had a stroke and was paralized on her left side. Because
of this, Salima became severly malnourished over the next five weeks. Her
mother was not able to properly take care of and feed her after suffering from
the stroke.
On March 28th, Mhale Bwendwa asked her pastor to come to her home to be
with her as she passed. She knew her days were few. For three days she listened
to her pastors words and worshiped Jesus Christ. At 3pm on March 31st, she
asked Noela to take care of Nehemiah, Gaby, and Noela after she died. At 7pm
the same day, she fell asleep and never woke up. With tears in her eyes, Noela
told me about the loss of her close friend and the struggles of now having
three more children to care for.
Noela Has a three year old of her own, three more in primary school, two in
high school, one in university, and one that is finished with school. It is
hard enough to pay for school fees and feed her own children. Now it is even
harder because she cannot work in the market while Salima needs to eat every
three hours. She was also born pre-mature at 7 and a half months. So fighting
against malnourishment and pre-mature birth is keeping her on a strict eating
schedule.
So where is the father in all of
this? The father left when Mhake Bwendwa was just three moths pregnant. He knew
his wife was becoming ill, and approaching death, and did not want the
responsibility of three young children all to himself. He left the country and
never returned, even after his daughter was born.
As sad as this situation is, it is happening everywhere here. Children
aren’t being fed and they become malnourished. Fathers are abandoning thier
role and responsibity as providers. An entire generiation is being raised by
grandmas because HIV/AIDS is wiping out their parents generation. Neighbors are
takeing in kids because there is no more family left to step up. Babys being
left on the doorsteps of a hospital is common.
I am so thankful that I got the opportunity to talk to Noela. I got to sit
and talk to a woman who boldly said, with her words and with her life, that she
loves God. She is so unsure of the day-to-day but so faithful that God will
provide what she needs to take care of these three new children. She is
literally His hands and feet to Salima, Gaby, and Nehemiah. She is a radiant
light and shining example of Christs love for us. She Cares. She Gives. She Loves.
