I have been trying to bless the kids of my community with the least that I can afford. I started this simple because I was hurt to see 3 children dirty on a Christmas day when other kids were wearing new clothes… I tried to follow up why were they like that and I later find out that two of them were orphans and the other only had a mother who isn’t working, so I vowed in my heart that the following year I’ll spend my Christmas with them, get them descent meal, new clothes and go with them to the where the community will be celebrating Christmas.
When Christmas time came, I already had about 5 kids that I wanted to spend my time with… I cooked and invited them at home, they were so happy to receive new clothes and we later go to the community park where everybody was. Last year was my third year doing this and the number of children has increased and I have now started to send them to school, pay their school fees and buy them uniform. So seeing that I won’t be able to do everything for them, I went to see our community councilor about these children, getting a meeting with him was so unfeasible, not because he was busy but because I wasn’t the kind of person he’d like to meet.
At the end, the meeting happened and I told him about my initiative and asked him to help me with food for these children because it will be difficult for them to go to school on an empty stomach, he referred me to grant schemes that the government is providing and I told him that 5 of these children doesn’t even have birth certificate, they don’t even have R5.00 in their house hold, so how are they going to get money for transport to home affairs, get certificates and then apply for grant, and while all that is happening how are they supposed to survive… well we argued for a long time until he agreed to include them to other people who are receiving food parcel every month. I then asked him to help me get certificates, then grant for them.
I came back here, end of Jan I made a call to him so I would find out if the children did receive food parcel he said, he will send someone to deliver it to them(they stay far from his home and they can’t afford transport to get food parcels), which he did after 8 days. About a week ago.. I made another call to him asking him about food and this time certificates for these children, to which he responded
“Look Miss….(my surname), you know that the country will be casting vote on the 22nd of April so as councilors we are busy campaigning, I don’t have time to go with your children to home affairs applying for grants or delivering food parcel, if you care so much why don’t you drive down, get the food and those certificates? everyone here goes to the centre to get their own parcel, what makes these children so special?”
Tears were flowing on my cheeks but I calmly responded “These children are part of the country you are on about, their poverty made you because in your campaign last year(which I attended) you made a vow that you will make them your priority, you used their vulnerability to get a sit as councilor, you promised to be the parents they don’t have, you promised them that because they don’t have anybody you’ll be their somebody, you’ll get them to school, you’ll get them a roof over their heads, you’ll feed them and protect them as long as you are on that sit, today you want to go out again and use the same tactics to remain in the sit you are not prepared to work for? You don’t even know them or have you ever set your foot on their grounds, see the tree they sleep under, the road is not good for your car or the soil good for your shoes. Well that real makes them special because without them you wouldn’t be you, the councilor, Well good luck on your campaign I hope you get the sit you are looking for and rejoice on the grave you are digging for the children ”
I dropped my phone, about an hour late he phoned back and said “I’m sorry Miss…. I’m under a lot of stress we are too busy these days, unfortunately we can only apply for grant for your children after elections but I will get one of my drivers to deliver their food parcels.”
On Friday, I went home where the children are, then Sat morning I visited them and none of them have received food parcel for this month, I took them to shops we bought food parcel and on our way back, we passed by the councilor’s home… indeed they were busy organizing for their rally which was going to take place later that day and he said to me… good that you are here, can you please take these parcels with, we didn’t get time to deliver them..i asked if he thinks those children are still alive … I was so angry with him… so now im waiting for elections to pass so my councilor will help the children, how sick is that?