Numbeko’s Dream

It’s been a while since I have updated our progress on the crocheting circle. Numbeko and the girls, VouVou and Alisewa, have been hard at work mastering the plastic mats. There’s not much I can say to sway them from buying plastic bags to work with but at least Numbeko has been practicing with the fabric strips I gave her. I think part of the problem is that she doesnt know what to do with the variety of patterns, colours and textures that come along with donated sheets etc. How do I teach that!?!? The first one she made was “hectic” and not something that would sell in most markets Ive visited. Perhaps I can group the fabric combinations for her…

I have started Numbeko’s facebook page and connected her to all the online vendors in the area . I also sat down with her to go through her contacts for her facebook page but she only choose a handful. She said the rest would be jealous or say bad things about her. It’s a common story here, try to improve your life and others will look for ways to tear you down. Numbeko is a strong lady however, and has great potential as a leader.

I have some other project ideas percolating like basic cooking lessons. Living Hope has a commercial kitchen in their coffee shop and learning basic knife skills and kitchen protocol could help secure a job. Growing succulents and drought resistant plants could be a compliment to the agriculture program already functioning on premise. Especially in a country just coming out of a drought. These are the things I think about at 2 in the morning when I cant sleep.

The need here is so great that it is hard not to get overwhelmed by it, I try to remind myself to just keep spreading the love and watch it multiply. That is the one thing I find easy …. being interested in people and showing them love. Another gift Ive discovered about myself is that I can recruit people quite easily. I have taken 3 ladies over to Living Hope so far to see about volunteer opportunities, and now the parent association at the school wants me to do a write up for the newsletter explaining what I’m doing at Living Hope and how people can get involved. There are so many gentle souls here looking for purpose and significance in their lives.

Its funny, I thought I came here to work with impoverished black Africans in the townships but it seems that God is using me in the affluent international community … either way , a soul is a soul.

Living the dream

Jan