Story of Hope
A young woman 18 years old, has living by herself since she was 10. Zodwa had a mother and a father and lost them both 8 years ago to HIV. Zodwa remembers nothing about HIV from their deaths, or maybe she is too ashamed to talk about it. She recalls coming home from school and her neighbors saying her mother had died earlier that day, and no one knew why.
Shame literally crushes the frame of this young girl, who sits with her shoulders hunched as if to hide any emotion stuck deep with in her, making eye contact is a challenge for her. She is confined to a one room cement block home which reminds me of a prison cell. “House on Fire” is painted carelessly in red letters on the wall by her bed. I asked her the meaning behind the strange phrase, Zodwa went on to describe the pain and meaninglessness she feels about her life. How lonely it must be to have spent 8 years of your adolescence alone. Her mother’s grave is less than 10 feet away from her door step as a constant reminder.
At age 14 she began to sell her body in exchange for money and food. To her, this was the only option. In Swaziland, you must have a uniform and shoes to attend school, in addition to the tuition. So when her parents died, there was obviously no way to pay for school. Zodwa has only completed grade 4 and therefore cannot obtain a job…other than prostitution. This way of living is not looked down upon in their culture, it is accepted by the majority. I believe my new friend must have conviction about her way of life but justifies it because of her struggle to survive. It is her way of life.
Two of us (Ali and Amy) had the opportunity of staying at Zodwa’s house for one night. We spoke to her of Christ’s love and encouraged her to meet with Him. As I was struggling to fall asleep that night on her floor, (listening to mice and bats screeching), I thanked God for the works He has yet to do in her life. She told us that she spends most of her time sitting in her house doing nothing accept sleeping. I asked if she could spend some time talking to the Lord and listening for Him. She said yes, but I don’t know how she can do this without a mentor. Upon my goodbye to Zodwa, I left her with enough food for a few months, and some new clothes to add to her 1 dress and 2 tee shirts. As I was hugging her goodbye I looked down at her bare feet and felt compelled to kick off my worn out flip flops to leave with her. I know I also left her with some hope and truth of Jesus.
