There is so much pain and confusion in the townships, but we wanted to share a ray of hope which we experienced. Our full-time counselor and peer educator, Barbara, had phoned and told us to expect a surprise this Wednesday morning.
We were not sure what to expect, especially given the situation with the xenophobic attacks that are happening here, but as we drove in to the grounds of the Support and Counseling Centre, the whole group of mothers were dressed in their new choir outfits singing and dancing, Zimbabweans and South Africans together, expressing their happiness and thankfulness.
To add to the excitement we had a surprise for them: the new netball outfits which had arrived at our doorstep during the week. This led to more jubilation and everyone rushed inside the centre to change. As they came out dressed as the Mother’s Club Netball Team, they looked like school girls again, as if the cares and burdens had been temporarily lifted off their shoulders.
Our whole morning was filled with so much joy, as we also met two members of our TB group who have had a complete turnaround in their health and situations, which they said was due to our help.
The following week the mothers had a full-fledged netball game!
Originally Published in 2008.