M&Ms

M&Ms have been part of our daily discussion here.  However, the M&M that we were involved in today was Milk and Medicine.  This morning, we loaded up Van #1 with nutrient packs (enough for one a day for 30 days), 20 pound bags of Roller Meal (corn meal), bottles of oil, ground nuts (peanuts), and formula (Zambians are required to breast feed, so it is just provided for those that can't).  Van # 2 we loaded up with people and headed out to the Matera Compound.

We pulled into the Church of Christ parking lot where women and children were waiting.  I love that we start everything here with a song - everyone joins in - we are even singing in the vernacular!  Each family was interviewed and each child was weighed and measured.  

Each family was called to the van to receive their food provided by the program.  The mothers sat on the grass and waited their turn as their kids ran around.  We got the bubbles and balloons going and soon there was screaming and running and the general chaos of kids at play. 

Once the food was distributed, the moms (or grandmas) all lined up for clothing donations -  They were handed some clothes and got to the back of the line until all of the donations were distributed - there was shirts, curtains, blankets, sheets, even a Christmas decoration (which they could not figure out what they were supposed to do with it - I am sure it will be turned into some kind of jacket by the end of the day).   You could just imagine this bag of stuff coming straight from one of the parking lot bins in Andover.  I have to tell you that we often wonder if our donations make it all the way to Africa - let me tell you they are wearing your cast-offs -shoes, NFL shirts, jeans, Hello Kitty pants, etc. - and they are wearing them and wearing them and wearing them!

Some of the women had multiple children, two mothers had triplets.  As they collected their belongings, we wondered how they would get their children and their 30+ pounds of food to their homes.  No one had any kind of transportation.  We watched as they wrapped up their children in a sling on their backs and wrapped up their food and put it on their heads.  

Each van gave a ride to a mother, her triplets and her 90 pounds of food.  When we arrived at our mom's two room home, her five other children ran out to greet us.  She helped us get out of the maze of cement block houses (and people complain about Forest Lakes!).

When we got back to the House of Moses we could not wait to deliver the three walkers that we bought for the kids. The kids were thrilled with the toys in the tray and looked as if they were ready for the roller derby!  

We sometimes wonder if we can make a difference.  As one woman said, you have to think of yourselves as a drop of water falling upon a stone, each of us doing a small part, hoping that over time great changes will occur.

Sandra