In an earlier post, The Grateful Heart, I wrote about how my mother prepared a lavish meal for the folks at the local charity home for the poor in gratitude for the blessings in her life. A renowned Indian spiritual master, when asked how to progress on the spiritual path, counseled his students by saying , “Feed people.” It is a customary spiritual practice in the East to feed others as a way of giving back, honoring the blessings received.
My friend, and fellow blogger, Dr Maithri Goonetilleke from Australia has recently launched a non-profit organization, www.possibledreamsinternational.org to support the projects he and a few colleagues have been working on in Swaziland. I have been so moved by their work and what they have been able to accomplish, just a handful of people with big hearts doing what they can. Swaziland is a land where there are more coffin shops than grocery stores, where aid agencies would not go, seeing it as a lost cause. A huge number of children are left without parents and older siblings are the head of households. In some cases the grandmothers of villages are the only ones left to care for children. It is chilling that a whole generation of adults, mothers and fathers, are being decimated by HIV. And as Maithri tells it:
“Our projects range from large community based projects such as the building of large neighborhood care points for orphaned children and the acquisition and provision of clean bore water for entire communities, to smaller family based projects such as the building of houses for the extremely impoverished or the delivering of food and clothing to the very sick or orphaned… In addition to the empowerment of communities, the Possible Dreams team identifies families or individuals who are in dire need of assistance and works to create tangible, sustainable change in their lives.”
The Mealie Meal Project:
In Swaziland where 42% of the population are infected with HIV there is a huge number of orphaned children. In fact 10% of the entire population of Swaziland are orphaned children.
When a child’s parents die, it is Swazi custom for their grandmother to take them into their home.
It is not uncommon to see a Gogo (Grandmother) with over 12 children living with them. For an elderly Gogo who is usually unemployed or makes a very meager income, having so many children within their household is huge financial, emotional and physical burden.
In July of this year Tessa Edwards, an English artist and an ambassador of Possible Dreams International, donated funds from the sale of her artwork towards providing food for two elderly gogos each with over 14 children in their households.
There are now four such Gogos and their extensive families who receive 25 kg of Mealie Meal (the staple diet of Swazis- from which a porridge is made) and 60 whole eggs each month.
I am so inspired by the story Maithri told on his blogpost in The Soaring Impulse, about how Tessa Edwards donated funds to feed two families for a year, that I took it upon myself to do the same; to commit to feeding a family for a year. It costs less than one dollar a day! I think this is such a tangible way to really offer assistance where it is greatly needed. There are many ways to help in this project as suggested on the website, and this one really appeals to me.
[]
“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do that something I can do.”
Edward Everett Hale
Mother Theresa said, “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.” There is a lot of wisdom in that statement, that we do what we can to make a difference, whether it touches the soul of one other person or ten million. In just one act of compassion, we can make life a more humane experience for each one of however many that gesture of kindness touches.
I invite you to join me in bringing hope to the people in need in Swaziland whether it is through financial support, through bringing awareness to the plight of the orphans, through prayers and blessings or whatever way you are moved to give.
Thank you Dear sister for all you are doing for this world,
May the love you give send its roots into the heart of the universe, in such a way that you find flowers blossoming and fruit ripening where ever you go,
My love and deep gratitude to you most beautiful friend,
A wonderful gesture of a being is to feel and be sensitive to the fellowmen in whatever possible.. appreciating both of you and may the Divine bestow the best to you both!
Yes, we are affected by the plight of others. When one person is suffering from hunger, we would be fooled if we think it has nothing to do with us, in this interconnected existence.
Thank you for your kind words, and may the Divine bestow the best to you a thousand fold!
Thank you Miruh, for the gift of opportunity today.
Thank you for sharing this information. There is more than enough to go around, and my mom always told me to share. What you gave to me today is the knowledge that sharing can be global. You can share energy, love, food with anyone.
Yes, teaching children to share makes for happier adults later on.To have the awareness that there is more than enough to go around is a gift. So many people live with a perspective that sees scarcity, and no matter how much they accumulate it is never enough for themselves, far more to think about sharing.
Miruh, this is a beautiful, altruistic gesture. I have read about Mathiri’s work and his soulful initiatives touch the hearts and souls of everyone, everywhere. The Fistula Foundation is another meaningful undertaking embarked upon by Australian doctors with a vision for improving the lives of women in varied African countries. I encourage readers here to check this out: http://www.fistulafoundation.org/
Thanks for sharing about The Fistula Foundation. There are so many organizations doing what they can to lessen suffering in the world.
Their is no shortage of need and we are being asked to make our hearts open wider.
You raise an important point; if we say we stand for peace in the world and inner peace, then engaging in alleviating the plight of all those suffering from hunger and other man made atrocities, is part of the practice of peace.
The essence of the practice is willingness to share pleasure and delight and the joy of life on the out-breath and the willingness to feel your pain and that of others fully on the in-breath...if you were never to receive any other instruction, that would be enough.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you Dear sister for all you are doing for this world,
May the love you give send its roots into the heart of the universe, in such a way that you find flowers blossoming and fruit ripening where ever you go,
My love and deep gratitude to you most beautiful friend,
M
This is love in every way!
A wonderful gesture of a being is to feel and be sensitive to the fellowmen in whatever possible.. appreciating both of you and may the Divine bestow the best to you both!
Dear Maithri,
Aah how fragrant these words you utter! And to you also…may your blessings return to you many thousand fold, my friend.
Hello Mark,
Yes, it is said that everything is either an expression of love, or a crying out for a return to love.
Thank you for sharing love and spreading awareness.
Hello Merging Point,
Yes, we are affected by the plight of others. When one person is suffering from hunger, we would be fooled if we think it has nothing to do with us, in this interconnected existence.
Thank you for your kind words, and may the Divine bestow the best to you a thousand fold!
Thank you Miruh, for the gift of opportunity today.
Thank you for sharing this information. There is more than enough to go around, and my mom always told me to share. What you gave to me today is the knowledge that sharing can be global. You can share energy, love, food with anyone.
Have a blessed day, my friend! Nicole
Hello Nicole,
Yes, teaching children to share makes for happier adults later on.To have the awareness that there is more than enough to go around is a gift. So many people live with a perspective that sees scarcity, and no matter how much they accumulate it is never enough for themselves, far more to think about sharing.
Thanks for your uplifting thoughts today.
Love and blessings to you!
Miruh, this is a beautiful, altruistic gesture. I have read about Mathiri’s work and his soulful initiatives touch the hearts and souls of everyone, everywhere. The Fistula Foundation is another meaningful undertaking embarked upon by Australian doctors with a vision for improving the lives of women in varied African countries. I encourage readers here to check this out: http://www.fistulafoundation.org/
Hi Miruh,
Maithri’s mission is the mission of us all. If we can’t help to feed our brothers and sisters then how can we eat peace.
Hello Liara,
Thanks for sharing about The Fistula Foundation. There are so many organizations doing what they can to lessen suffering in the world.
Their is no shortage of need and we are being asked to make our hearts open wider.
Peace to you!
Hello Alexys,
You raise an important point; if we say we stand for peace in the world and inner peace, then engaging in alleviating the plight of all those suffering from hunger and other man made atrocities, is part of the practice of peace.
Thanks for your wise words. Deep peace to you!
Leave a Comment