Mafusa: Grace Community Church saves two precious lives

Foster Children at Larobane Foster Home
Lesotho 2017
Photo by Philip Maher

This is a great story.  I think it should be told to everyone out there who is feeling more and more hopeless about the state of the world.

Bracelet of Hope supports 6 foster homes in Lesotho and a total of 39 orphans, most of them orphaned by AIDS.   Mafusa  (name changed for her privacy), was 17 years old when she attended a party with other teenagers.  One interaction, one time, and she became pregnant.

Teenage pregnancy is still very stigmatizing in Lesotho.  For the health and safety of the other children in the foster home, she was moved to the home of an aunt, her only remaining relative.   The aunt has children of her own and is barely able to care for them.  While we were in Lesotho two weeks ago, Mafusa gave birth to a tiny, healthy baby boy.  She delivered at home.

Tracey and Candice, two of our team members visited with Mafusa last weekend.  She was suffering from the complaints that most new mom's experience.  She was tender and sore and overwhelmed by the constant demands of this new babe.  She sleeps on a mattress on the floor in an old, dingy room.  Bracelet of Hope has provided her with all of the necessities.  She has diapers, blankets, clothing, formula, pads and so on; but, she is entirely alone.  She was not able to complete her high school studies and without this her chances of meaningful employment are next to none.  Mafusa is very bright.  Given the opportunigy to complete her education, she will have a very good chance of finding a job that will support her and her child.

Life is very fragile in resource poor countries.  One difficult circumstance, one unexpected problem can change the fortune of an individual overnight and forever.  Death of a caregiver loss of a job, an unexpected illness, an unplanned pregnancy; a person's security is so tenuously held together that one event can send them spiralling into extreme poverty.

Mafusa has lost both her parents.  She is unwanted by the one family member she has left.  She is hopeless and despondent.  She misses the only family she has known;  her foster mother and the foster siblings she lived with.

I can't even imagine that kind of aloneness or the fear Mafusa must feel.

Mafusa no longer meets the criterion for support received by Bracelet of Hope.  She is not a child in one of our foster homes.  But her situation breaks us.  Broken people can do one of two things : we can stay broken and give up or we can stand up and do all we can to change the circumstances that broke us.

Candice had a meeting with Bryan Bitton before our trip to Lesotho.  He is one of the pastors at Grace Community Church in Guelph.  Bryan was looking for other ways to help Bracelet of Hope.  The church is already a monthly donor.  Bryan and the leaders of Grace Community Church have offered to support Mafusa with monthly income that will provide her with a child caregiver who will care for her son so that she can go back to school.  The funding will provide her with formula, diapers and baby's personal items  With this kind of support, Mafusa may be able to return her foster home.  That is what we are working towards.

A good friend recently reminded me of a quote that I used to use in my speeches years ago.

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men and women to do nothing.
Sir Edmund Burke


I don't know what kind of emotions her rescue stirs in you but I know personally, that rescuing Mafusa makes all the difference in the world to her and to us.  The work we do will not bring about world peace.  It will not change the actions of super-powered narcissists who threaten global security with their careless and ridiculous antics.  It will not solve world poverty or the ever increasing threat of global warming.  Our efforts are just a tiny light in a very dark world.

But here's the beauty about light.  It is recognizable in the darkness.  It gives direction and hope.  One tiny spark of light can burst into even the darkest places on earth.  The small light that Bracelet of Hope and Grace Community Church has held out to Mafusa is not just for her, it is for us and for everyone who is watching.  It is for every person young and old who has started to believe that there is no hope for a world as messed up as ours.  And if every person young and old responds with other acts of courage, compassion and selflessness, well, then our world becomes a beacon of light and nothing is impossible.


What a joy it will be to watch this beautiful young lady as she grabs onto a brighter future.  Well done team!  If you would like to help support Mafusa or one of our other beloved foster children, please consider becoming a monthly donor.  Follow the links on our web-site at braceletofhope.ca.  If you'd like to watch me gasping for breath after a 100 km cycle, sponsor me here:  http://bit.ly/2fj1pzO

Cheers and thanks

Anne-Marie

Traveler’s Diarrhea and Justin Bieber

photo by Philip Maher

A day off at the Lipofung caves, Lesotho:

Minus their fearless leader

I almost made it.  It took seven days and despite extreme precautions, I developed symptoms of the travel bug……no detailed description necessary.  On other trips I am often out for three or four days.  I hope today is the only day for this trip.

The team took the day off of foster home repair and clean up and headed up to the only ski resort in the highlands; a treacherous drive.  Apparently, the van needed a ‘rest’ several times as it climbed.  Phil is our driver and we are going to knight him for his efforts.

The view up there is incredible.  The highlands of Lesotho are the most magical, eerily beautiful place on earth.  I am sorry I missed the trip this year.  I had an entirely different day.    Getting up, except when absolutely necessary, was too difficult so I laid in my bed looking out the heavily sheared window recognizing only blue sky and sunlight above the decaying walls of the cottages that surround our courtyard.  Not much to see which left ample room for the sounds of Lesotho.   Off in the distance, all day long, I heard cheering and chanting teenagers.  At least I think they were teenagers.  It must have been some sort of sports tournament.  Their exuberance was extraordinary.  All day long, chanting and cheering in harmony, of course.  It was the sound of pure joy.  I could here honking taxis on the road in front of the convent, the drivers accosting each other and their customers.  When the cheers died down, I heard birds chirping in the heavily blossomed bushes.  At one point this morning, a group of men and women made their way up the street singing in that un-mistakable African harmony.  I could make out the hymns.  They seemed to slowly make their way up the street and then back down.  Funerals are on Saturdays here.  The sadness in their voices made me wonder whether that was what this procession was for.

On and off all day, in between deep, dreamless naps, I heard these sounds.  A housekeeper was in and out sweeping and cleaning.  No vacuum cleaner but the worn out carpets were swept clean.  She made her way into my room several times, just to see how I was.  She told me the story of her efforts to finish her high school diploma.  At 23, she had managed to complete grade ten but then was forced to work in order to eat.  She has been caring for the nuns here since April.  Several of the nuns are quite elderly.  Her responsibilities include caring for them.  The nuns are holding on to her pay so that she can save it for her education.  She wants to be a nurse.  Completing grade 11 and 12 will cost her 4,000 M or $400.  That’s a fortune for someone like her.  The longer it takes, the less likely she’ll succeed.  If a woman in the developing world gets 1 or 2 years more education, she reduces the under 5 child mortality rate in her community, by 15 %.  I contributed a wee bit to her education fund.  The amount I donated covers my groceries for a week in Guelph.  It covers all of grade 11 for her. 

Just as I was dosing off for nap number six, I heard a song that I recognized playing somewhere off in the distance, the bass way too loud.   There was nothing African about this music.  It was Justin Beeber.  I was disappointed.  His music doesn’t even come close to the traditional hymns and songs of Lesotho but apparently he is very popular here. 

Everything moves forward, even here. 

It’s dark and I am dosing off again.  I can hear the excited chatter of the team, just returned, down the hall in the dining room.  They are talking about how difficult it is to raise funds for international development and how exhausting the work is.  It requires the patience and perseverance of Job.  If that is the only thing they pick up on this trip, I will have done my job.

Almost asleep, I hear this lovely, almost Gregorian chant coming from the church across the compound; all male voices, slow profound harmonies.  No Justin B. here.  Faith in humanity restored.

The church bells chime on the hour just as the raucous noises of the day settle into a chorus of crickets.  I love Africa, travel bug and all.

Donate if you can.  Lot's of work done, so much more to do!

Anne-Marie

Click Here.

www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/bracelet-of-hope/battleofboard/dedicated-to-khotso-and-my-twin-brother-dan/

A beautiful woman

This is Makhauta.  Many of you may know her story.  Four years ago, when she was 12, she was dying of AIDS.  She lived in one of Bracelet of Hope’s foster homes.  In many developing countries, there are very few medications available to treat HIV.  If you have used one regimen for many years or if you live in an area where access to the medications is not consistent, a patient can develop resistance and no longer respond to the drugs they need.  Makhauta was in this position.  The AIDS virus had destroyed her immune system and she was close to death.  A group of Guelph business men were set to visit Lesotho.  We were able to get her the new medication she needed.  

I saw Makhuata this past Sunday.  She is now a beautiful, bright and healthy young woman.  It is your support and the work of some pretty incredible people in Guelph, that saved Makhauta.  We gave her a shot at life and the opportunity to be the beautiful young woman she was meant to be.  I was shocked to see how well she was, to be able to kiss her lovely cheeks and look into her sparkling eyes, hold both her hands in mine.  One life may not seem like much but her saved life is evidence of the power of good people committed to improving the lives of others, one person at a time.  

Thank you for being that group of good people.

Many things to report but I am absolutely astounded at the progress that has been made in the efforts to end AIDS in Lesotho.  My faith in humanity is restored and in these troubled times, that says a lot.

Not much time to hike, that 100 km cycle is going to hurt but it will be well worth it.

Donate Here:  www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/bracelet-of-hope/battleofboard/dedicated-to-khotso-and-my-twin-brother-dan/

May I be so bold as to encourage you to help raise $2,000 toward my goal of $15,000 while I am in Lesotho?  Because man, I am once again convinced that nothing is impossible when we all join a good cause that wants to transform our world. 

Kealeboha ( Thank you)

Dr. Anne-Marie Zajdlik

MD CCFP O.Ont. MSM

Founder of Bracelet of Hope

My Siblings: Dan the Ironman to my right

Donation Link:

www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/bracelet-of-hope/battleofboard/dedicated-to-khotso-and-my-twin-brother-dan/

Hey Folks,

Yes, I am at it again.  This is Bracelet of Hope's sixth Falling Leaves event.  Last year, I cycled 100 km and raised just over $11,000.  I am now approaching 54 years of age.  I was hoping to decrease my cycling goal and my fundraising goal but my twin brother, Dan, did something amazing last weekend.  He completed the Mont-Tremblant Ironman.  Ok, lets break that down a bit: that's a 4 km swim, a 180 km cycle AND a marathon.  He started at six in the morning and finished up just after 7pm that evening. He was back to  work within 48 hours with barely a sore muscle.  That's what five years of training and a gut full of perseverance will do for even a "passed middle-aged" body! There is a video of him crossing the finish line that I must have watched 20 times last week.  He looks strong.  As he crossed, he punched the air with both fists, twice.  I have known my brother for a long time but I have never seen him that happy. 

   

If he can do that, then I can keep going.  I have been an HIV physician for 27 years.  I have watched on from the beginning of the pandemic and treated thousands and thousands of patients.  And here we are, at the dawn of a cure.  What a privilege it has been to watch the world unite behind the common cause of ending the AIDS pandemic.  On September 7th, I will return to Lesotho after a three and a half year pause.  These were not easy years but I survived them.  Now it is time to head back to this beloved mountain kingdom in southern Africa and put the final pieces in place to bring treatment and the cure to thousands of people.  

I can't cycle in Lesotho so my training on the bike will be put on hold.  I can hike and the altitude is high.  I am bringing 7 team members with me and I have strongly recommended that each bring a good pair of hiking shoes because we are climbing mountains!  In honour of my brother Dan and a little guy named Khotso, I will cycle 100 km when I return and top it off with a very slow 5 km run.  Bracelet of Hope has raised over $4 million in the last 11 years.  We have supported so many people, started many important projects and kept 40 foster kids clothed and fed.  I am very proud of what we have accomplished but I am not done yet.  Help me assist Lesotho in getting ready for the cure.  It is just on the horizon and our new healthcare strategy will help thousands not only survive AIDS but be cured of it.  

Khotso:  We will never forget

Click on the above link to donate.

Thanks everyone,

Anne-Marie Zajdlik MD CCFP O. Ont. MSM

Founder Bracelet of Hope

braceletofhope.ca