Getting to know my boys (1 of 6)... Kennedy







Kennedy, what a sweet, sweet boy! He is the smallest in physical size of all of my boys, but his heart is big, his smile wide and his need for love even greater.  Kennedy told me the first day that he was 9 years old, I think he is closer to 7 by his size, but I also have to take into consideration the extreme malnutrition of these children.

During blessing time, I asked Kennedy a lot of very personal questions, he was very open and I felt really good about his responses for the most part.

He lives in Chiasa with his mother and father (this is rare!!!) and they both work (this is even more rare!!). His mother is a maid and his father is a guard, I wanted to know more about these jobs, but he did not have any more information to offer. He has 3 siblings, one older brother and 2 younger brothers. He sleeps on the floor with his sibling. People, when you think Africa, you think HOT, well, I am here to tell you it is COLD, their winter is like a Texas winter and I believe that is colder than it should ever be! It was below 55 degrees every night we were there and Kennedy was sleeping on the dirt floor with his sibling!  

If all that he tells me is true, he lives in a blessed home! His parents provide three meals a day!!! That is unbelievable! Of coarse, please keep in mind the meals consist of sheema, which is like grits, so there is no nutritional value, however it is food and they are lucky to have it once a day much less 3 times a day!  With that being said, Kennedy told me that a lot of times he wakes up with stomach pains, which I would guess is an affect of the swelling sheema in his belly and lack of vitamins and much needed nutrients for a growing boy.

Kennedy showed up to camp in the same clothes every day. An over sized Flinstones t-shirt, a Hello Kitty thermal, green wool sweater and red pants. All were tattered and torn, however, he was warm and probably very thankful to have each of these layers. I seriously wanted to give him some chap stick, his little lips were always dry, however, this was the only thing I noticed that might give him physical discomfort. He appeared healthy and well.

He said that he likes to play with his friends, they play a lot of games, I am assuming football, he was quite quick on his little feet! I had no idea that little package could be so agile and quick!!

I asked every child if they felt safe at home, Kennedy said, "yes"! AND I believed him, until he told me that the "witches" that come at night that try to harm him. As I said in the previous post it is hard for me to wrap my head around this concept, however, it is real, these people (as a culture) have passed these beliefs down from generation to generation. Most often if someone is sick, they will see a witch doctor to heal them instead of going to a clinic that offers real medical help. My heart hurt when he told me this, little did I know he would not be the last.  The good news here was, when I asked Kennedy if his parents knew, he said, "yes", I then asked what they said about the witch and he said, "they would pray for him when he sleeps that the witches will not come for him". Hey parents, can you imagine your child telling you that and you saying you "would pray for them when they sleep so that the witches will not come for them", this is aint' no boggy man folks, this is real!

Although both of his parents work they can not afford to send the boys to school, so at age 9, Kennedy is still in grade ONE, in the States, he would be grade 3.

 There was a camp song to the Father's Prayer, on the first day the camp leaders were showing us the "dance" moves to the song. Kennedy didn't realize we were learning the moves, so as soon as the camp leaders started the Father's Prayer, he leaned his sweet little head down, pressed his beautiful tiny hands together and prayed the prayer out loud, it was one of the sweetest moments I had a camp. This child, who is so blessed by Zambian standards, yet so deprived by American standards prayed to a God that he truly believes in and loves! That was one of many of my cry moments, fortunately, that was a good cry moment, unfortunately, there were very few good cry moments in this week.

At the end of each blessing time I askd for three things they wanted ME to pray for THEM when I went home.

Protection from the witches that come for him at night.

Good health

Happiness

This is my Kennedy, he is my sweet sweet Kennedy. He is from the fair well blog, crying his little eyes out on the bus, that is how I left him, but I will see him again, I will be sending him to school, and I will be back in Chaisa to see him.