A few days before leaving the village we received a man and his wife from Malunda village who came to find out if it was indeed true that his two children got such durable shoes free of charge. Since he was awayhe thought his wife was having an extrmarital affair. he almost beat her up but his wife asked him to look for me and get the truth , thank God I was still there! The man was speechless, he thanked me and openly confessed that his children had never had such type of shoes, not even himself. his wife was all smiles and I saved her from the beatings. When they were going back, i saw themsmiling and laughing, going in peace...
...My dear, we've done something ...our friendship is not selfish, its rich friendship which cannot easily be found...something has happended in Makuluni...'
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Sunday, Sunday...
19th may 2010...Virginia...
"...As I said, the Sunday following the distribution was amazing, everyone headed for their respective churches. I told you that we only have Christian churches, most of them being Catholic, Baptist, Seventh Day Adventists, Pentecostals and some smaller congregations. Pastors thought people had been hearing rumours about Jesus returningon that Sunday, everyone was in their best clothes and in church. They discovered it was the shoes, the children could not be silenced, everyone was talking about their new shoes in church, walking around, falling down in these new things called shoes!...
The pastors saw another surprising thing - people walking in and out of church as if everyone had a thousand litres in their bladders! The striking thing was that almost everyone who was going in and during the service had shoes, something which was very uncommon..."
"...As I said, the Sunday following the distribution was amazing, everyone headed for their respective churches. I told you that we only have Christian churches, most of them being Catholic, Baptist, Seventh Day Adventists, Pentecostals and some smaller congregations. Pastors thought people had been hearing rumours about Jesus returningon that Sunday, everyone was in their best clothes and in church. They discovered it was the shoes, the children could not be silenced, everyone was talking about their new shoes in church, walking around, falling down in these new things called shoes!...
The pastors saw another surprising thing - people walking in and out of church as if everyone had a thousand litres in their bladders! The striking thing was that almost everyone who was going in and during the service had shoes, something which was very uncommon..."
What happened next?...
19th may 2010...Virginia...
"...Everyone who got a pair of shoes was nowhere to be seen! People could not waste their time, they had to run home, take a bath and go for a walk in the nearby villages to show off! That is how neighbouring villagers flocked home to see for themselves and if possible ask for their share, which was impossible. I had to work through the waiting list, the Makuluni villagers and children of nearby villages going to the Molanje school...
...Some people from Makuluni village but who are married in nearby villages came back, claiming their identity! To be a Makuluni resident was SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL!!! Everyone wished they were from Makuluni village. Some made calls to their relatives far and wide, we saw people who went missing for a verylong time. It was such a reunion time, people coming together in the name of Aussie Shoes!!...
...Thank God that Makuluni's neighbours also benefitted through the children going to the Monjole school. In fact, forget about Makuluni village being the only recipient! Monjole Community School enrols students from all the surrounding villages including Nsikita, Namaja, Naliya, Mbodole, Malunda, Mulelemba and Makuluni herself. All these villages have children who went away with the shoes to their homes...
"...Everyone who got a pair of shoes was nowhere to be seen! People could not waste their time, they had to run home, take a bath and go for a walk in the nearby villages to show off! That is how neighbouring villagers flocked home to see for themselves and if possible ask for their share, which was impossible. I had to work through the waiting list, the Makuluni villagers and children of nearby villages going to the Molanje school...
...Some people from Makuluni village but who are married in nearby villages came back, claiming their identity! To be a Makuluni resident was SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL!!! Everyone wished they were from Makuluni village. Some made calls to their relatives far and wide, we saw people who went missing for a verylong time. It was such a reunion time, people coming together in the name of Aussie Shoes!!...
...Thank God that Makuluni's neighbours also benefitted through the children going to the Monjole school. In fact, forget about Makuluni village being the only recipient! Monjole Community School enrols students from all the surrounding villages including Nsikita, Namaja, Naliya, Mbodole, Malunda, Mulelemba and Makuluni herself. All these villages have children who went away with the shoes to their homes...
Hmmm... catering...?
19th may 2010...Virginia...
"...Our home was like a hospital, children crying like hell. Ihired security guards who i asked to keep watch and help me with the children. We prepared tea and bought snacks for the children, i was scared someone will collapse with hunger...
...my full involvement was a limiting factor when it came to shooting the events! I was the only person to shoot and take the pictures. In the heat of things , I could hardly find time, as i told you, to go and empty my bladder, not to talk about shooting the event and taking pictures!...
"...Our home was like a hospital, children crying like hell. Ihired security guards who i asked to keep watch and help me with the children. We prepared tea and bought snacks for the children, i was scared someone will collapse with hunger...
...my full involvement was a limiting factor when it came to shooting the events! I was the only person to shoot and take the pictures. In the heat of things , I could hardly find time, as i told you, to go and empty my bladder, not to talk about shooting the event and taking pictures!...
The recipients...our friends...
19th May 2010...Virginia...
"...We saw very old women and men carried on bicycles to receive a pair of shoes - old people i never saw after a decade...
...I saw mentally challenged man who for the first time after months, went to take a bath at muloza River, combed his hair and in his tattered clothing came peacefully to ask for a pair of shoes. I received him just like everyone else and I believe he felt good treated respectfully...
...There was a mentally challenged girl who goes around the place begging for food. She too came and asked if she could have a pair of shoes. i asked her if she would be able to keep a pair safe and she told me that her aunt would get them for her ( look after them). I looked at her and finally decided to let her have her share. After a few days in the village, I saw her proudly walking in her Aussie pair of shoes!...
"...We saw very old women and men carried on bicycles to receive a pair of shoes - old people i never saw after a decade...
...I saw mentally challenged man who for the first time after months, went to take a bath at muloza River, combed his hair and in his tattered clothing came peacefully to ask for a pair of shoes. I received him just like everyone else and I believe he felt good treated respectfully...
...There was a mentally challenged girl who goes around the place begging for food. She too came and asked if she could have a pair of shoes. i asked her if she would be able to keep a pair safe and she told me that her aunt would get them for her ( look after them). I looked at her and finally decided to let her have her share. After a few days in the village, I saw her proudly walking in her Aussie pair of shoes!...
6 weeks after the shoe delivery...
19th May 2010....FromVirginia...
"...It has been 6 weeks now since the shoes arrived in Makuluni village, still overwhelmed by the success story. A few things then though I couldnt tell you as i was recovering...
I left without chargers for my video and digital still camera - the batteries in the latter were already going flat! Thank God i at least took the gadgets with me! Of course,even if i took the chargers, the area has no electircity but I could have used the same means other use when charging their mobile phones...
The distribution, as I said, was not easy, it drained my energy. Not onlymine but my sister, mum, uncle, Felista ( Virginia's niece), and everyone close to me enjoyed the tough time. It was such a busy week, full of breath taking surprises!...
"...It has been 6 weeks now since the shoes arrived in Makuluni village, still overwhelmed by the success story. A few things then though I couldnt tell you as i was recovering...
I left without chargers for my video and digital still camera - the batteries in the latter were already going flat! Thank God i at least took the gadgets with me! Of course,even if i took the chargers, the area has no electircity but I could have used the same means other use when charging their mobile phones...
The distribution, as I said, was not easy, it drained my energy. Not onlymine but my sister, mum, uncle, Felista ( Virginia's niece), and everyone close to me enjoyed the tough time. It was such a busy week, full of breath taking surprises!...
and about the uniforms...
10th May 2010...From Virginia...
"...As you can see, the uniforms of these girls look better than the others, as I am always there for them. I share costs with their parents. i bought a piece of cloth which the parents shared and have the uniforms made for thier children, there are six girls and one of them is a double orphan, no mum, no dad. I only needed 12 meters which costed me around $70 dollars. I paid for the sewing of the orphan's dress.
Let me send part of the inscriptions on the papers in their hands. i had difficulties taking pictures while making the presentations, it was just too much and i missed lots of inspirational scenes!..."
"...As you can see, the uniforms of these girls look better than the others, as I am always there for them. I share costs with their parents. i bought a piece of cloth which the parents shared and have the uniforms made for thier children, there are six girls and one of them is a double orphan, no mum, no dad. I only needed 12 meters which costed me around $70 dollars. I paid for the sewing of the orphan's dress.
Let me send part of the inscriptions on the papers in their hands. i had difficulties taking pictures while making the presentations, it was just too much and i missed lots of inspirational scenes!..."
The monjale girls dancing for joy...
10th May 2010
From Virginia...
"...Suzy, these are the Monjale school girls from Makuluni village. The shoes are pure Australian as you can - where else would they get beautiful and durable shoes if Australia was not there? They nagged their parents for white pairs of socks long before the shoes got there! Since they are from the village and had the performance on the day we arraned for them to receive the shoes early before everyone else - one of the advantages of being active in the community... (this was one of the criteria Virginia used to create some sort of order out of the chaos of the distribution process!!)
Virginia continues..."The song they were singing goes like this...
Thank you Australia for the beautiful shoes
We had no shoes on our hurting feet, you our friends have covered us up
Thank you Josiah,Caitlin,Meshach, the Shoe-pals,
We are grateful for the shoes
Chorus :
Thank you Australia
Thank You Aussie
Thank You Friends
Thank You for the shoes
Thank you Aunt Suzanna, Karen and our own Virginia
May God bless you for all the work you did
To collect,arrange and bring the shoes to our feet
It was not easy we know, God bless you all.
Chorus
Thank you , all of you, the churches,schools,communities,
and individuals who contributed in cash and kind
The shoes are beautiful, we couldnt wait any longer,
We waited and waited and today we have them!
Alinafe, the one holding the piece of paper is my sister's last born Alinafe (God With Us). She also goes to the school. On her paper were the words THANKYOU AUSTRALIA. Another girl behind her had another piece of paper on which was written BIG UPS MADAM VIRGINIA - I laughed my lungs out!..."
From Virginia...
"...Suzy, these are the Monjale school girls from Makuluni village. The shoes are pure Australian as you can - where else would they get beautiful and durable shoes if Australia was not there? They nagged their parents for white pairs of socks long before the shoes got there! Since they are from the village and had the performance on the day we arraned for them to receive the shoes early before everyone else - one of the advantages of being active in the community... (this was one of the criteria Virginia used to create some sort of order out of the chaos of the distribution process!!)
Virginia continues..."The song they were singing goes like this...
Thank you Australia for the beautiful shoes
We had no shoes on our hurting feet, you our friends have covered us up
Thank you Josiah,Caitlin,Meshach, the Shoe-pals,
We are grateful for the shoes
Chorus :
Thank you Australia
Thank You Aussie
Thank You Friends
Thank You for the shoes
Thank you Aunt Suzanna, Karen and our own Virginia
May God bless you for all the work you did
To collect,arrange and bring the shoes to our feet
It was not easy we know, God bless you all.
Chorus
Thank you , all of you, the churches,schools,communities,
and individuals who contributed in cash and kind
The shoes are beautiful, we couldnt wait any longer,
We waited and waited and today we have them!
Alinafe, the one holding the piece of paper is my sister's last born Alinafe (God With Us). She also goes to the school. On her paper were the words THANKYOU AUSTRALIA. Another girl behind her had another piece of paper on which was written BIG UPS MADAM VIRGINIA - I laughed my lungs out!..."
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