Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14
A few weeks ago a stranger walked into our Wednesday morning ladies cell at the church. None of the ladies knew who she was and she had arrived an hour late thinking that the 9:30 cell started at 10:30. After the cell was over we spoke to her and found out her name is Kingsley. She is a Xhosa woman in her 30′s. She had been confused about the time but had heard about our church and our ladies meeting and taken a taxi from the township to join us. I asked her if I could give her a ride home and on the drive she told me that she is running a daycare center and that was where she needed a ride back to. She has taken over a building that was built and donated by the local power company and she and about two other women are caring for around 40 children there.
When we reached the daycare I asked her if I could come in and look around. Nathan and I went in and saw the children and met the other women who were working there and took a little tour. It is very plain. One room is open for the kids to play but there are hardly any toys or anything there. The other room was set up with little tables and chairs where the children eat their meals. There was a small bathroom and a small kitchen where they are daily preparing food for the children. Outside there is a small play area and then along the back of the building they had a small garden growing. Trying to supply food for the meals for the children.
As I was looking around I was struck by Kingsley and her attitude and the fact that as she showed me around she wasn’t asking for anything. Instead, I could see her commitment to these children and the fact that she was really serving her community and striving to do all that she could possibly do to enrich the lives of the children in her care.
As I left I just knew that this was someone that we need to be involved with, as a family, as a ministry and a church. I called Josh and gave him directions and he and Freedom went and visited her the same afternoon. In talking with Kingsley Josh found out just how true my assumptions were. Because she is running a daycare in an impoverished area, she is supposed to receive a certain amount of aid per child from the government every month. She told Josh it has been months since she has received anything. Most of the parents don’t pay for their children to come and instead of shutting down the daycare because of lack of funds Kingsley and her helpers are there everyday working for sometimes as little as $18USD per month. They are basically volunteering to take care of these children that have no where else to go during the day. And, they are feeding the children solid meals that they may not get if they weren’t there. It is actually amazing what she is doing to protect and serve these kids.
Since our first visit together, Kingsley has been in church every Sunday and attends the ladies cell whenever she can. Josh and Freedom have committed to working together with her in her garden so that she can provide healthy, inexpensive meals for the children. He has gone to the municipality on her behalf and is working to resolve a debt that she inherited when she took over the building. Josh has taken our Pastor Deon to visit her and the daycare and she has really taken a place in all our hearts. We have asked the church to bring in any school supplies and toys that they have for the kids too. There is an excitement around her and her daycare not only because it is a place where we can give and invest but also because we see a woman there who has an excitement, a passion, and a commitment to make a positive difference in her community. She is a true leader and she is already making a difference without us. We are so grateful we can just serve her in her passion. We are looking forward to walking a road together with her and the children she cares for.
one of Kingsley’s helpers and some of the children
the existing garden
