Buhle loves using her gifts of teaching and givingShare, South Africa
When Buhle was only two years old, her mother passed away and she went to live with her grandmother. With a small widow’s pension as their only income, Buhle and her grandmother struggled to survive. Problems with mobility and vision had begun making it difficult for Buhle’s grandmother to do basic household chores such as cooking and cleaning. Buhle was left feeling alone as she tried to provide for herself and her grandmother. This burden was daunting, and Buhle was too young to know how to cope with the grief she was facing from losing her mother.
Thankfully, Grace, a Care Worker with Nhluvuko Community Based Organisation, began caring for Buhle. Grace was a friend of Buhle’s mother and when she passed away, Grace started building a strong mother-daughter-like relationship with Buhle. When Buhle’s grandmother was no longer able to cook, Grace taught Buhle to make pap, the maize-based porridge which is a staple food in African diets; something girls are often taught to make by their mothers. Today, Buhle is an excellent cook!
The hope Buhle has received from her relationship with Grace has manifested in many areas of her life. At the Life Centre in Share, she enjoys a hot, nutritious meal each day, along with basic health care and a school uniform and supplies. Buhle is now 12 years old and loves playing and singing with friends and reading her Bible. She excels in school where she is in grade 7, especially in her favourite subject, English. Buhle dreams of becoming a teacher one day and, in her words, providing education to “old and disabled people”. Her grandmother did not have the opportunity to attend school, and so at night Buhle is teaching her English and how to write her name. Buhle is no longer facing sadness and isolation, but a life full of expectation for the future. Buhle loves to be in the midst of a group of children, helping them with homework. Whether at home with her grandmother, or at the Life Centre with her friends, Buhle can be found using her gift of teaching and the spirit of giving that she has learned from Grace.
Learn more about how Hands at Work in Africa is serving in communities across sub-Saharan Africa and helping the local church to effectively care for the orphaned and vulnerable.