Tanga Visit... Who is Greatest?

Last month, I had the privilege of spending a few days in Tanga, northern Tanzania.  To be honest, I hadn't really been looking forward to the visit because it entailed a 6 hr (cramped) bus ride to get there and another 6+ hour bus ride (plus hour+ in taxi back from the bus station) to get back.  A lot of time on the road in cramped, bumpy, traffic-congested African roads... Not the most comfortable of traveling conditions.  And, to be honest, I'm a little worn out by all the traveling at this point.  8 months of basically non-stop traveling in Africa takes its toll... I'm going to the States in a few weeks for a little while and am SO excited.... It's been almost a year since I've been back, and I am more than ready for some first-world conveniences.

But all that to say, I didn't know what was in store for me in Tanga.  And I am so very thankful that I had the opportunity to go.  It was definitely a trip that I will not soon forget.  I went to visit a project that we support through Karama called Tangawizi.  Tangawizi is a small branch of a larger organization called YDCP (Youth with Disabilities Community Program), which was started by the Tanzanian Free Evangelical Church to aid children with disabilities in the community.  Tangawizi is a small branch of it that was started to support their programs - they make very cute bags and purses (made by a disabled artisan) to sell and raise funds for their programs.  We purchase the bags and sell them through Karama.  [see the cute bags (and buy!) here: Saturday Clutch & Florence Bag]

YDCP has about 25 employees and works with 1400-1700 (!) children in the community and surrounding area.  I saw a statistic when I was there that 10% of people in Tanzania are believed to be disabled.  This is such a staggering statistic, as people with disabilities here have so little opportunity for any kind of work and receive no government assistance.  They are usually resigned to begging or being dependent on family members to provide for them.  And it is commonly thought that being disabled is a curse and therefore these individuals are often ostracized and cast out, children very often abandoned by their parents.

YDCP provides support, counseling, medical evaluations, physical therapy, and medical devices for these children.  They educate the community and families on disabilities and their specific treatments and encourage families to raise and love their children instead of abandoning or neglecting them.  Fathers very often leave the situation when a child is disabled, and it is not uncommon for mothers to abandon them either.  YDCP speaks with and educates the parents, encouraging them to raise and love their children- while they provide necessary support that is needed- oftentimes encouraging fathers or mothers to return to the children if they have left the home.

I was able to go into the community with the YDCP workers and visit 4 children and their homes when I was there.  2 of the children were diagnosed with severe sensory integration disorder, one had cerebral palsey, and one precious little girl had down sydrome.

my sweet friend Frillness at the home of the first child

one of the caseworkers playing with him :)

The 2nd home we went to was a child around 12 yrs old with sensory integration disorder.  This child was being raised by his grandmother because his father had left early on when he found out he was disabled, and the mother had since abandoned him and left for Dar es Salaam.  His grandmother was lovingly and faithfully raising him- taking care of his every need: feeding him, clothing him, loving him.  He was dependent on her (the caseworkers were saying he was too dependent even; one of the things needed in this situation was more independence gained on his part), and you could see that he had become just as integral a part of her life.

I had been staying at the house of one of the ladies who works for YDCP & Tangawizi- my sweet 24 yr. old Tanzanian friend Frillness.  Frillness still lives with her parents and 5 of her 7 siblings.  I have been in many Tanzanian homes but realized on this trip that I had never before stayed overnight in one.  So I had the great privilege on this trip of truly seeing an intimate look into their beautiful family life.  This family is educated and rather well-off by Tanzanian standards.  The father has a good job at the Tanzanian Coffee Union and each of the children are educated, well-spoken, well-dressed... the older children have good jobs... they have electricity and a television that they watch at night.  The home is quite large for a Tanzanian home: 3 bedrooms with a living room, kitchen area, bathroom, and spacious yard.  Yet still, this large family (5 of the children are biological children, the other 3 are nieces/nephews whose parents passed away and have since been living with and part of their family)...  Still, this large family shares one bathroom which includes a squatty potty (i.e. no plumbing, basically just a hole in the ground), a spigot in the ground, and a very simple showerhead (with no hot water); the grown children share beds (I stayed in the girls' bedroom- there were 4 of us in 2 double beds); food is cooked from scratch over hot coals.  Staying here, I was reminded once again how hard life is for a Tanzanian.  Everything is worked hard for: meals take hours to prepare- every one of them- clothes are washed by hand... everything comes through hard work.  And it is most often the women, the mothers of the family, that carry the greatest burden- day in and day out, cooking all day long, cleaning the house, raising the children, while very often also working outside the home to raise additional income to support their families.

So as I was sitting in the homes of these children - reminded afresh of the daily burdens these families carry every day- I was struck with awe at the ones who love and raise these precious children on top of all their other responsibilities.  On top of working so hard- to make a living- to be able to buy the resources- to work so hard over a coal fire- every day- to prepare meals- to get by.  These disabled children require constant supervision and care- they are precious, beautiful children made in the image of God- lovable children who are precious and playful- but make no mistake about it: they require a lot of WORK.  It was tiring for me just to watch the caseworkers work with them in the very small amount of time we were there; but day in/day out - caring for their every need, that is HARD WORK.  And as I sat in the home of the 2nd child, whose grandmother was raising him - whose grandmother had CHOSEN to raise him when all others had left him- in spite of the work it entailed - in spite of any cultural notions that he was cursed or unworthy- she KNEW it was right to love him and care for him... And she was doing so.  Each day, she was choosing to sacrifice her life and any comforts of her own, to care for this one who needed her and who would be without hope without her.

Bibi (Grandma) and her beloved child

 the humble home of this saint

I thought about the disciples who were arguing with each other and asked Jesus who would be greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  They surely thought that the one with the highest position, most recognized, closest to Him, would be the greatest.  Yet as I looked upon this home- this obscure home in a small Tanzanian town- unknown to the rest of the world- this one woman who was faithfully and diligently loving one of Jesus's precious children- day in and day out- without any recognition whatsoever - I kept thinking to myself, "THIS is who will be greatest in the kingdom of heaven."  We tend to think of the Billy Grahams or spiritual giants of our time as the ones who will be 'greatest in the kingdom of heaven' - and not that these faithful servants won't be richly rewarded- and I by no means mean to claim that I know who will be 'greatest' or what heaven will even be like- but I couldn't help but think to myself that these are the ones who are most pleasing to the Lord.  The ones who are faithfully obeying- each day- in the small lot that the Lord has granted them for their lives- with no recognition from the world and no earthly reward... enduring great hardships to do so, without the rest of the world so much as even knowing.  Are these not the ones who most please the Lord?  These ones who are doing what He has asked of us, to take care of 'the least of these' in this world, while humbling living out their lives and the lot that the Lord has assigned to them?

And again, at the house of the 18 yr. old boy with cerebral palsey... his mother had passed away, his father had abandoned him, and his grandparents were raising him.  Again, saints before my eyes: ones who made me question anew what is most valuable and most worthy in this world.  

our 3rd & 4th visits: these precious children were neighbors

I had to fight back tears many times in these homes, as I was convicted of how I complain about the discomforts of long, bumpy, crowded bus rides.  Oh, Lord, help me.  Help my self-centeredness, my ungrateful attitude, my impatience... May I learn from these brothers and sisters of mine whom I have the great privilege to witness living out their lots in life so faithfully and so well.