When I think of Africa there are certain images that come readily to mind... thorn trees with their wide open arms that embrace the surrounding bushveld, sunsets that defy the color spectrum, people groups that are spectacular in their diversity and an animal kingdom not found anywhere else on our planet. This month at Helping Hands two African elements came together in a way that was breathtaking! Some children of Africa (the element of Africa I love the deepest) had a close encounter with lion cubs. The result was an image of Africa that will forever be entrenched in my soul.
The Helping Hands ten day Orphan Intervention Program had come to an end for September and the children were taken on a day outing. For many of these children this was their first trip away from the village and the first time they had ever rode on a bus. It certainly was the first time any of the children had seen a live lion. They screamed with terror when the fully grown male roared and charged at them. There was however much laughter and bravado when they realized the fence between them and the jungle cat was secure. The absolute treat of the day was when they got to bottle feed and play with the lion cubs. I watched with wonder as the offspring from two different species played together like old friends. There surely is a lesson in there somewhere! These children had a life experience they are not likely to ever forget. For us at Helping Hands it was a privilege to provide this for them.
On another note, our annual report for 2007/8 has just been released. You can view this by clicking this link. Annual Report or visiting our website and clicking on the link on the bottom right hand side of our home page.
With kind regards,
Michelle Tessendorf
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