South Africa 2019 - Distributions begin

We were off and running today for our first distribution of 174 bedkits. It was at a large complex containing regular schools through to high school, but we worked out of a school called Pure Hope for very underprivileged children.

Eleanor joined us to help from Rotary. She is a doctor supporting a clinic for this school as well as a large settlement about 200 metres away. This settlement contains homes constructed of nothing but cardboard and scrap material. There isn’t any electricity, running water, or sewage systems. It is unknown exactly how many people live there, as most are unregistered, meaning they are faceless and don’t exist in the system.

The settlement is the main source of students for our school. The students start at two years of age and come having never seen running water or toilets, many suffering from malnourishment. The children get two meals a day at school, and this is usually the only food they have each day. Eleanor related a story of a mother who brought her baby to the clinic yesterday, but sadly the child died shortly after from malnutrition.

The children are being looked after by the school but go home to nothing. A bedkit must mean so much more to them than we can ever imagine. Eleanor suggested a lot of them have never had anything “new” in their lives.

Our distribution for the day had a few problems to solve, it being the first time we have been to South Africa, but we worked through them. Tomorrow should be easier.

Jim Miller

Team South Africa 2019

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