One Life - One Energy - One Creation

During the past year of running our ONE Love Home for Orphans, I have experienced a number of exhilarating emotions, along with a number of heart breaking moments. Having always had a natural love for children,unfortunately not having had any of my own, I have found the running of this home for orphans very rewarding. Not rewarding in the monitory sense, not much of that about, but fulfilling. And I mean truly fulfilling in every area of my life and my being.

Shortly after I got involved at the home, the boys accepted me, andthey became very attached to me as a male and father figure. They would confide in me, they always want to play soccer and cricket with me. Ialso found that by letting them talk openly with me, touch my skin andplay with my hair, they quickly became attached to me.

They are all black African kids, except for Alvino, who is a colored child, colored in the sense of having mixed black and white people in his lineage. So to them, having always found white people to be avoided, or repulsive in a sense because of apartheid, it was something new for them to have these white people who love them, take care of them, parent them, and experience such a close bond with them.

Little Sipho Juqu, one of three brothers in the home with us, who is nine years old, has latched onto me like a leach. He always wants to be with me, very close to me. If he comes and stands or sits next to me he always lifts my one arm up so that I will hold him. Often, when he approaches me and I am standing, he motions to me to pick him up; which of course I do, and he just laps it up, he absolutely loves it. Or at other times, if I am standing somewhere, he would approach me, put his arms around my waist and rest his head against my lower chest. Then he would snuggle up real close and hug me tight, which I do in return as he giggles his appreciation.

This almost brings tears to my eyes because I know that he so sorely wants and needs a father/mother to hold him, comfort him, re-assure him and give him confidence to live another day in this crazy world. His mother died from HIV Aids three years ago, his father abandoned them. And I believe that this was extremely traumatic for him and his two older brothers Benjamin and Ian. Benjamin, who is almost fourteen yearsold is also very attached to me and so is his eldest brother Ian, who is seventeen years old.

But little Sipho sticks to me like glue. Now this is what I call being one, the need to and the wanting to feel the ONENESS of being with someone. He needs it so badly, finds he has it with me, and for his sake I truly pray that I will live through his growing years until he is into adulthood; because it would destroy him totally if I were to leave him, in whatever way. It hurts to know that he loves me and needs me so much.

Anyhow, it feels wonderful to know that I am a blessing to him, and to all the boys at the home. It is a great privilege for me to be in this position at this stage of my life.

ONE for ALL–All for ONE—PEACE—LOVE—JOY—ONE—HARMONY