Hope Really Does Abide

Sometimes here I am overwhelmed by all that is around me… HIV/AIDS is truly a horrifying epidemic that is tearing apart families, communities, and countries.

Orphans are all over and they are hungry, begging for food, without shoes and wearing dirty clothes

Men and women are without work as unemployment in Namibia is about 40%, so many people—especially women—turn to the sex industry which only further perpetuates the spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases Families who are living below the poverty line are unable to send their children to school even though education is "free" (in actuality, there are school fees and uniform costs that prevent many children from attending). Without education, poverty perpetuates… …and the list goes on…

Yet—lately I have seen so much hope.

I’d like to share 3 ways that I’ve seen hope:

~A week ago we met a woman named Patricia, who single-handedly began one of the biggest community outreach programs in Windhoek called Hope Initiatives. Patricia first saw a huge need for children in the informal settlements (homes made of scrap metal/cardboard and communities without electricity or free access to clean water) to be educated as many of them had either failed out of a grade or been forced to quit school because they could not pay the school fees. Yet before Patricia could educate, she saw that a bigger need was hunger.

By earning money from odd jobs, Patricia saved up and began a feeding program out of her own pocket. While working her soup kitchen, Patricia more thoroughly assessed the needs of her community, and she and her husband began tutoring students out of her home. Little by little the organization grew, and now it serves through soup kitchens, bridging schools, after-school programs, and adult education/ empowerment programs. Yet it all began with Patricia seeing a need in her community and her working hard in order to meet that need.

Patricia did not wait around for someone else to "fix" everything; instead she proactively involved herself in the community and served some of the greatest needs…

~A friend whom I’ve grown quite close to is named Taura. Taura is a bit older than me, and her life has been filled with struggles and hard times. While I would think that her life experiences would make her hateful and calloused, Taura has become quite the opposite… She is one of the most loving people I have ever met, and her smile radiates a joy that transcends the pains of her past and looks forward in excitement of the future. Currently Taura’s main source of income is the small salary she receives from teaching 18 three-four year olds at a mission school in one of the poorest areas of Windhoek. Clara pours her heart and soul into her kids, and when she’s not at school or preparing her lessons, she’s volunteering at an after-school program in another part of town. Taura is passionate about children and the youth of this country, and her dedication in serving and educating them is incredible.

~My internship the last couple of weeks has definitely had its ups and downs. For a few weeks, I became quite frustrated, as I began to realize the hoops that one must jump through to register as an official non-governmental organization/ a welfare organization.

Additionally, to qualify for grants, there is so much paperwork, and even after all of that paperwork is filled out, it does not guarantee any money. Aunty Clara is doing so much for her community, yet without outside support, her personal income runs out quickly, and she is forced to quit the services she is providing. Two weeks ago, Clara shared with me how discouraged she was, and that week and the following week, I became frustrated as it seemed like my internship was merely comprised of me babysitting Clara’s grandchildren. Yet this past Wednesday, I had an incredible day with Clara. The school students here are on their winter break right now (yup, it’s approaching winter in the southern hemisphere!). Because many students in Clara’s neighborhood come from homes without much money, during school holidays, the school children are left to fend for themselves during the day. Clara recognized the needs for children to have fun things to do during breaks, and organized a dance team. On Wednesday 75 girls between the ages of 4 and 16 came over to Clara’s home for dance team lessons. After some really fun dancing, Clara proceeded to feed all of these girls in addition to other children from the neighborhood soup and bread.

Watching this procedure: lots and lots of children everywhere all requesting soup and buttered bread was INCREDIBLE! For a while it seemed like Jesus and the feeding of 5 thousand, yet instead of some fish and bread, we had 2 pots of soup and 11 loaves of bread. Clara’s heart is big enough to fuel her to do the incredible things that she does. I truly believe that my opportunity to work, talk, share, and grow with her has been the most beneficial and encouraging opportunity in Namibia.

As these people whom I’ve encountered have shown me, we can make meaningful differences in our communities! What I’ve learned is that we must first find what makes us passionate, and then serve in the ways that seem fit from there. As individuals, we can impact our communities, and as small communities of dedicated individuals, we can positively impact our cities, countries, and world.

A question to ponder: What is your greatest passion and how does that fit into the needs of this world?