Today I visited RA Padeyachee for the first time. I don’t think I have words in my vocabulary that could accurately describe the emotions I felt while visiting. The school is in the middle of a slum neighborhood. The community is completely ridden with poverty, more so then I have ever even read about. I was told that approximately half of the community is infected with the HIV virus. Driving through the community you can see the dire living situation of the students attending this school.
Bobby and I met with the principal and we talked about me starting next week already. I have been passionate about starting and getting my hands and feet wet right away, but now as I actually see firsthand what I’ll be dealing with I feel like I’m over my head. I’ll be processing what I just saw for the next days to come.
The principal stressed her desires for me to get to know the kids personally. She said that there are social initiatives that just drop off shirts and materials, but she doesn’t really care about that because it doesn’t change the kids’ lives. She insisted to me that getting to know the kids and actually talking with them personally to get to know their living situation and what their lives look like on a daily basis has the opportunity to change their lives. She was very passionate about the opportunity of me helping out at the school as she told me that kids’ lives can be changed through a new person showing them and telling them that there could be a different path in life.
If I have ever dealt with doubt or worry regarding my own capabilities it is now in regards to the work that is ahead at this school. In the next few days, I am going to be working on the structure for how we are to go about ministering to these kids. There are obvious needs in this area and I am feeling a wide spectrum of emotions towards my new commitment and conviction for these kids and community.
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