18/08/2026
I look at this empty bed, and my heart is full.
Last week, our three-year-old family member, Thlothlo, was re-homed.
When he first came to us, he had nothing. Only the torn, battered clothes on his little body. He couldn't speak English, and he was deeply afraid of adults.
His body was so malnourished that eating was a struggle. For weeks, he suffered from severe diarrhoea as his little body battled with malabsorption and tried to adjust to receiving proper nourishment.
But slowly, things began to change.
He stabilised.
He learned to communicate.
He learned that adults could be safe.
He learned that this could be home, even if only for a season.
We filled his locker with his own clothes. We enrolled him in a preschool where he was cherished, taught, and cared for. Slowly, the frightened little boy who arrived with nothing began to understand that there were things that belonged to him.
And then, last week, it was time to say goodbye.
Thlothlo walked out of our premises carrying two duffle bags filled with HIS own belongings.
As he was leaving, I offered him a lollipop one last time.
There was a time when fear would have made him hit me.
But this time?
He smiled.
He grabbed the lollipop, said, "Thank you!" and ran out the door.
And just like that, another bed was empty. ❤️
Sometimes the season we are given to sow into a child's life is a lifetime. Sometimes it is a few years. Sometimes it is only a few days. And sometimes, like with Thlothlo, we are given just a few precious months.
But however long the season, our aim remains the same: to leave every child better than we found them.
We cannot do that alone.
We can do it because there is a community standing behind these children. A community that helps us put food on the table, clothes in their lockers, children into schools, and love into their vocabulary.
Today I look at this empty bed and remember Thlothlo. I remember all the children who have slept here before him.
But I also look at it expectantly.
Because somewhere there is another little one who will need this bed. Another locker waiting to be filled. Another story waiting to be rewritten.
If you would like to invest in their stories, please support us.
You may never know how long we will have with each child, but together, we can make every day we are given count.
CCCO, FNB Cheque 62697516866 REF Name and Surname Thlothlo
