Early this year I had mentioned 2 young people Sphesihle Bhembe "Sapy-see-sleigh Baim-bay" and Nhlanhla Masina "En-slawn-slaw Mah-see-nah" that I wanted to help. I organized for both of them to take an entrance exam into a nearby top rated high school. They both were in the top 3 of their class last year (position is more important than grades here), contributed to their community (Sphesihle from the Mangwaneni CarePoint and Nhlanhla as part of the HPC Swaziland serve team). I had made a deal with them that they would keep their positions up this year (they did) and I would pay for their entrance exam (I did) and if they were accepted I would work diligently to try to put their story out there and raise funds to attend this school (about twice as much as the government schools). It was a shot. For Sphesihle, she did not pass but we are looking at other options for next year. (Don't count Sphesihle out. She cannot go to this school but we will find her a good school so she can be all God has her to be. She is still very active with the Mangwaneni youth group and the CarePoint so look for her whenever I post pictures. She is a great girl to get to know.) For Nhlanhla he was accepted and now the miracle of finding the funds begin.
Let me tell you about Nhlanhla and why I picked him as one to try and help. He is 19, almost 20. He has such a servant heart.
He has had such a tough life and is still plugging away and not letting it get him discouraged. He has the sweetest, kindest smile. Nhlanhla has given me permission to share his story. These are his words. They are not grammatically correct but remember English is his second language. He has not embellished or toned down his past. He, like most Swazi's are matter of fact. Life is hard here for so many kids. Please listen to Nhlanhla's story and help me get him into a good high school so his future can continue to grow brighter. I will have more details at the end of how you can help. The pronunciations below are my addition. (Side note: Nhlanhla does not mention it in his story but his father is a heavy drinker which is another common issue in most households in Swaizland. This might help you understand his father's actions.)
"From the time I was 7 years old I was no longer staying with my parents because they used to fight most of the time and my mother did not want me to see the fights. She moved me to stay with her friends. But I could not stay for long. She kept on moving me to other places. She then asked one woman if I could stay with her. Every month she would bring money to the woman. That woman died in 2000 and I couldn't get in touch with my mother. I had to move out and stay in the streets. I had to get my food and maybe find shelter. I met a gang in town who forced me to join them to get shelter and food. I had to steal to be part of them. I had no choice. I did it and got caught and got arrested. That is when my mother found me because I was in jail. She then took me to a certain woman around Mbabane "mbah-bah-nay" who helped me get to make my father pay for my school fees. I started school at an old age and when I got in grade 3 I had to drop out because my father couldn't pay. I stayed with that woman but life began to be very rough because she was complaining that my father gave her nothing unlike other times.
Again I went to find my mum. She wasn't working but I stayed with her. I loved school though so I begged my dad to pay. He did and I went to school again doing grade 4. My mum asked the woman if I could stay with her again. This time things got worse and I could not tell nobody my problem because my mum couldn't help and my dad told me I was the one who made the choice to stay there and go to school. I was expected to buy food apart from money my dad gave for school. I tried to find means of getting money but it wasn't enough.
Time went on. Sometimes going to school and sleep with a hungry stomach. Later I went to a church, HPC where they used to give me food for some time. That is where I met Christ. Still I had to go under hardship at home with no help from my father who always chased me away whenever I went to him for help. I then searched for my mum until I found her. By then she was very sick with breast cancer and I had to take care of her because she had a child, my last born sister.
Everyday after school I would go and try to take care of her and my sister. I took her to the hospital but they said we were too late. For a long time up and down hoping and praying for a cure. Well it was too late. I went to my dad just to let him know but his words 'I do not need you and your problems please leave.' Those words built so much hate in me I wished he wasn't my father. That was worse than all the things he had ever said or did to me. I was filled with that hate. I even cried whenever I thought of him. He caused me to have a bitter heart. The only person I could get help from was my mum but she wasn't able to cause she was sick and had lost hope. In 2009, May, my mum died leaving me with a 2 year old baby sister to look after but that made my life miserable because I had to provide for her and at the same time go to school.
Where I lived was like hell on earth because I had to watch my sister hungry and crying. If the church didn't give us food we sleep in hungry stomachs. I would ask food from neighbors but couldn't do it for long. Every day I came back from school the woman would tell me to find a place and to leave with my sister. One day we came back from church and the door was locked. I thought nobody was there. I sat outside with my sister til 7:00 pm then the woman opened the door and told me to go and find a place to sleep. I was so confused because I had no where to go and no one to tell. I stood out trying to ask at least to let my sister sleep for the night but she refused. I took off my shirt and covered my sister. I cried holding her in my arms. I was so cold. I moved around the yard til 9:00 pm, then my friend at church called. I told her what had happened. She called two church leaders who dropped me at Mpolonjeni "Em-poe-lone-jenny" (I'm Not Forgotten Home) where we lived for a short time.
After some few weeks we were moved to a house at Thembelihle "Tame-bay-lee-sleigh". First I had to get rid of my bitterness. I had to face and fix things with my dad whom I hated so much cause he didn't even go to my mum's funeral. But I humbled myself and went to fix things with the help of the church (HPC). I tried to forgive my dad and that is changing him too. He agreed to let my sister stay with him and promised to take care of her. I am staying with my youth pastor in the guys house and trying to develop the relationship between me and my dad."
Unlike many of the schools here, Sifundzani "See-voond-zah-nee"High School requires spots to be paid for next year by the end of Oct. I meant to post this blog several weeks ago when we found he had been excepted and I apologize. The year of school plus a uniform will run about R9200. R3000 has already been donated leaving just under $1000 left to raise in 6 weeks. If you can help in any big or small way without taking any money you have been contributing to missionaries or ministries or tithe; please send it to
Children's Cup
P.O. Box 400
Prairieville, LA 70769
or call (225) 673-4505 and ask for other ways to donate and be able to designate the funds.
Please identify the donation as school fees for Nhlanhla Masina
If we are able to go above and beyond, I will use the funds to help Sphesihle find a school. Thank you my loyal blog readers. I am sure you will share this blog with others who can help us help Nhlanhla. Working together we can make a significant impact on the life of a young person who needs us. Siyabonga! "see-yah-bone-gah" (Thank you!) This was Nhlanhla dressed in his best for church this morning!
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Remember a Christmas that was special for you? Was it the love? The atmosphere? A special program? A gift? Did you have a birthday party for Jesus? Our kids in Swaziland need those kinds of memories!!!! They need to be loved on, to have an exciting place to celebrate, learn more about Jesus' "comfort and joy" (our theme), get a small gift and celebrate the birth of Jesus with cake and chicken!!!!
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