Meet Sibonelo. This precious little girl has stolen my heart with her affection and her sweet smile. From the first day I went to Children's Cup carepoint Mbekelweni, she hasn't let go of my hand. I carry her in my arms just about every minute, give her piggyback rides, and I look into her beautiful face as she falls asleep in my lap. Sibonelo is 3 years old and her love is contagious. I recently started asking the teachers at the carepoint more about this little girl and her story is one I just had to share.
Sibonelo is part of the "I Am Not Forgotten Home" in Mbekelweni; which is right next door to GLA campus. "I Am Not Forgotten" started in 2008 when a teacher at one of the carepoints named Mage Peggi started taking children home that had nowhere to go. She cared day after day for the orphans in her community and the amount of children she cared for kept growing and growing. The idea for orphanage homes branched out from this because her home started to not be big enough to hold all of them. God moved in the heart of a generous donor in the USA who visited Swaziland and the "I Am Not Forgotten" homes (3 in total so far) were able to be built. The Mbekeweni home was built 1 1/2 years ago and Mage Ntombie is now the caregiver at the home for 9 children ranging in ages from 3-15 years old. Ntombie has an incredible heart and is now a mother to the motherless.
When sitting down with Ntombie to find out about Sibonelo's story I could tell I was about to hear a heart-wrenching story but I had to know. Sibonelo was found as an infant at her step-grandmother's house sitting in the soil filthy and crying. She had nothing to eat so she was eating the dirt to stay alive. Sibonelo is a double orphan. Her parents abandoned her and Ntombie believes at least one of them is deceased. She was left in the care of her step go-go (grandmother) but unfortunately her step go-go didn't care about her. Sibonelo is one of the thousands of children in Swaziland that is HIV positive. Because of this, her relatives discarded her. When Children's Cup found her they took her to the hospital and she was nursed back to life and got her the medicine she needs to survive. Not only did they save her life, but they brought love back into her life. The love of Jesus. Today Sibonelo is full of life, a bundle of joy to be around! She no longer has to look for something to eat. Everyday she can come to Mbekelweni carepoint for rice and beans or porridge. At home she gets to eat eggs and bread for breakfast. I'm told she loves to be carried (I know this firsthand!), she loves sweeping the yard, playing marbles, and playing with toys and dolls.
Sibonelo has brought joy into my life. I'm blessed that I get to love on her each week. She has also really humbled me. There are so many days during the internship that my selfishness takes over; when all I want are the luxuries of the USA (things like going to the movies, going out for sushi, going thru McDonald's drive-thru, you get the jist) and then it hits me and I'm brought to tears. I remember Sibonelo, I remember the children I play with each day and how little they have compared to so many. And I pray to God that He will forgive me of my selfishness, that the joy that these little ones around me have will come into my heart and envelop me, that I can humbly be Jesus' hands and feet everyday. It's a hard thing to die to your flesh but I'm learning so much from the children around me.
I'm blessed and thankful that God has brought me here to Africa. There truly is no other place I'd rather be.
-Shannon
Donation Details
Online: http://www.worldoutreach.org Click Donate and Select my Name, USA and International Cards Accepted
Or Mail Checks to: World Outreach Ministries, P.O. Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 (Designate for Routzahn, Fund Code #91)
