Sunsets and Mangos

I wonder if people living here are able to appreciate the beautiful sunrises and sunsets in the midst of all the challenges they face.  I had this thought this morning at 5:30 as I watched the sunrise while waiting to meet Cathrine to give her bus fare to go to Gabs to get xrays for Erto, then I had it again just now watching the sunset.

I just finished talking to a woman who came to my gate while I was picking mangos. The mangos so far have mostly gone to local children. I just finished eating my first one; a small sweet piece of deliciousness. I am still waiting for one of the big ones to ripen before I give them all away.  After she and I spoke, I gave her the two mangos I had just pulled off the tree for myself.

She was one of the women I wrote about recently regarding the nice basic but completely in Setswana conversation. Today she came to me to talk about her child, who at two years old was sick with meningitis and has been suffering the consequences for the last 8 years. This child can’t speak or do anything for herself. She is in a wheelchair and attends Camphill – the part for the younger kids.  But today, the driver didn’t come to pick her up.  He was someone the mother had hired in the village, but after one day of it decided he she was too heavy and he couldn’t do it. 

Now this woman is a small little thing, who is lifting her daughter in and out of the wheelchair, in and out of bed, etc. etc. every day, so we know it can be done.  I have seen people at home lift adults who weigh a lot more than she must, if they do it the right way.  So either this driver is lazy, is afraid of being around someone so disabled, or is just a sorry ass weakling. Wait, he is a sorry ass no matter what the reason.

I listened to her and just felt my heart sink. How can I help her? She loves her child so much and works anyway she can to make money to care for her.  She was a volunteer at the home based care program until it closed at the end of November due to lack of funds (due to alleged poor management, but I don’t know for sure).  Then, she was paid maybe P1000 (maybe just over $150) a month to care for people in the community who needed help. Now she still does the work but does it for free and then tries to find “piece” jobs here and there. Her husband just lost his job of two years – a construction job that finally ended.

My wheels started turning, trying to find an answer.  Maybe this guy just needs some education and training? Maybe the combi sitting parked at the home based care building, un-used, can be leased or loaned to Camphill and they can hire a driver who these families (there are others who can’t get there) can use to get their kids to school. Since school is free, the parents are told they have to cover the transportation, but if no one in the village is willing to transport these kids, then what?

My wheels are turning and I will research it more when I am back at the office. I wish I had a car and was allowed to drive it.  If this woman can’t get this child to the school for the 4 hours of school she attends, then this woman can’t leave the home to work and they will have nothing.  It makes no sense to me that a school that is free doesn’t just provide transportation as well. They get paid by the government (which is why the school is free). Isn’t the cost of transportation included? This reminds me of Adult Day Health Care in a way, with the challenges we had with transportation getting and keeping vehicles and drivers, etc.

It breaks my heart, and the two mangos I gave her don’t begin to cover it.