What $20 Did!!!

 People often make donations and apologize for not being able to give more. This always takes me aback because no donation is too small. If everyone gave a small amount, just think what a large amount the final total would be! Also, our money here goes wwwaaayyy further than your money in the US. And every amount given makes a difference in the life of child here. 

A good example of how great of an impact small donations have is in what we will be facing next month...Back-to-School (Our academic calendar runs from February to November). This means the purchase of scads and scads of uniforms, book bags, shoes, belts, socks, school supplies, and text books. The list is as endless as the number of children for whom we must buy. 

We are happy that all of our Sunshine Children are covered by sponsors who pay their monthly tuition and their uniforms. 

Yet we also buy uniforms, book bags, and school supplies for the children in our Beacons of Light community projects who are starting grade 1. We also provide uniforms and book bags for the neediest of children in our local public schools. When we started doing this back in 2017, it was a rather inexpensive undertaking. Then we could buy a uniform, book bag, AND school supplies for only $20. Now to do the same is about $30-$40 per child. When you multiply this by dozens of children, it really adds up. 

BUT...this is why we do it! (Forgive me for being long-winded. I think I have become "Mozambican" as I now tell every detail to a story!!!)

I recently stopped at a local store in the community where we work to buy a bottle of water on a scorching hot day. As I came out, a woman was sitting in the shade on the side of the building. She was selling fish and asked if I would like to buy some. I don't like fish too much to begin with, but I really don't want to buy fish that is being stored and sold outside on a hot summer day. So I kindly said no thank you, and started to climb in my car.

As I was getting in, she got up and came running after me. So much so that it caused Delcio, who is ever protective of me, to get out and come over to my side of the car! She began telling us about her son and how we made life-changing impact on him. When he was younger, she could not afford the school fees to enroll him in school or buy him the uniform, book bag, and supplies he needed. We provided the fees and needed uniform, book bag, and supplies for him. She said that this got him off to the good start he needed. She kept repeating what a good boy he now is and that he does well in school. We were so encouraged by her. Her appreciation was incredibly enthusiastic and heartfelt!!!

I got home and set to finding this photo. I recognized her and remembered her story. Years ago, she sold bread to our community projects. I could see in my mind the exact photo we took of her and her son. So I began painstakingly going through all of my photos. I have so many photos on my phone that I have even had to increase my space in the "cloud"...BUT...I found it! All the way back on March 7, 2018!!!

This dear little guy would now be 11 years old and in going into grade 7 in high school next year! All because of a donation of $20 that paid for his uniform and book bag. So THANK YOU to all of our donors out there. I always tell you that you are making a difference for a lifetime in the lives of the children we serve...here before you is the proof!

Graduation Celebrations!

 November is the end of the academic year for our students in Mozambique. In December comes the long anticipated Bailes. While those of you in the Western Hemisphere are preoccupied with Christmas presents, cards, and cookies, we here are consumed with dress clothes, gowns, and practices. These ceremonies are a combination of a prom/ talent show/ graduation. The students spend many hours practicing and preparing for these bailes so as to showcase their talents for their parents. 

This year, we had 5 students graduate from grade 6- Vicente, Helio, Vasco, Katia, and Maura. . They have completed their primary education at Escola Tamwana and will now move on to high school at Escola Sao Gabriel. 

Each child received their certificate and then performed in skits, dances, and singing. 

Our Virginia graduated grade 12 from Escola Marie Ana Mogas. This is a huge cause for celebration as only 1% of the students who start grade 1 in Mozambique will achieve this milestone. A high school Baile consists of a grand reception and dinner for the students and their parents. The students choose a color and all of the girls have dresses made in this fabric. Here is a photo of the graduating class...

The students prepare ballroom dances which they perform at the Baile. Our Virginia was selected to read a poem she wrote entitled "Crescer" (To Grow), which was an incredible honor for her. Each student receives a certificate and a sash to recognize them as a Finalista. 

Isn't she absolutely stunning?!?

As I sat with my husband during these Bailes, I was overwhelmed and humbled yet again to have a part in the lives of these children. Each of them looked so beautiful and fit right in with their peers who come from a much more privileged life. Only the children and I know the depth of pain, abandonment, extreme poverty, and suffering they came from. I can still picture them as they looked on the day I met them...broken, sad, hungry, sick, filthy, and hard. 

Who would have known that of these beautiful children three had a father who died and whose mother subsequently had a mental breakdown and was taken away to no-one-knows-where leaving them alone with no one, one of whom was named the village thief and had completely stopped going to school. They lived this way for two years.  The oldest of these three children has told me that they were considered to be garbage by their neighbors. She also received advances from a male neighbor who said he would provide food if she would sleep with him. One of these children lived in squalid conditions with a grandfather who did not care for or feed her but instead would drink and beat her. Two of these children lost their father at a young age and their mother then abandoned them and fled to South Africa leaving them alone and defenseless. I am in awe of each one of them... their strength, their perseverance, and their desire to survive. They inspire me!

I couldn't help but think about what would have happened to them if they had been left as they were. It is a road I cannot let my mind wander down. Each of our children are a living testimony of what love and a family provides. They are flourishing, and I only wish I had hundreds more houses to provide for thousands more children who are still our there suffering as our children did. But until I have the means to provide for more children, I will be thankful and praise God for those He has placed in my care as I trust in Him to grow them into the young men and women He has purposed them to be. I am also thankful for the money donors who provide for the children's education, homes, and living expenses. Without their financial and prayer support, none of this would be possible. Together, let's celebrate their success and prepare them for the new season they now enter.

The Fruit of New Life

 As parents, we have all experienced those moments when our children have an achievement that makes us bawl like babies. When they are teenagers and this happens, it can be a moment of great embarrassment for them! So when our Vicente was baptized last Sunday at his church, I did my very best to keep the joyful sobs and wailing inside my chest, but I could not hold back the tears from slipping down my face. 

I am so very proud of this young man. Orphaned and abandoned, he tweaked out an existence for 2 years with his older sister and younger brother. He stopped going to school. He became the village thief, but he stole only to satisfy his hunger. He was asthmatic and HIV+ and was receiving no medical assistance. 

When we first met him to bring him home, he was the most rejected, angry, and hurt child I have ever encountered. 

After we loaded him, his siblings, and their meager belongings into our van and pulled out,  he literally collapsed on the seat next to me, sobbing uncontrollably. He didn't know where we were going or what was ahead of him; all he knew was what he was leaving behind, and it was like a release of the floodgates of his emotions that had been held inside for too long. 

Since that day, he has been loved unconditionally and cared for in a family setting. He has been educated and supported in all ways. He is earning the best grades in his classes at school. He is always there to greet me with a huge smile and hug when I arrive. He is readily available to assist with any job, be it hanging curtains, watering plants, or carrying heavy loads. He has grown into an amazing young man whom I really enjoy.

It has been my privilege to walk alongside Vicente. Our Sunshine Family of 32 children and 8 mothers gathered together as a family to celebrate his baptism. In Mozambican culture, the guest of honor cuts the cake and presents a bite to honor the people in his life.  Vicente presented to me the first bite of his cake. With tears streaming down his face,  he shared a speech to thank me for bringing him home and giving him the opportunities needed to make him a better person. We all cried along with him. Our children and mothers know this type of suffering all too well. They all have experienced great loss and pain. They all could relate to Vicente's gratitude for receiving a new start in life. 

I can brag about Vicente all I want because I deserve no glory in this. I have had the simple part in his growth.  I simply brought him home. It has been first the Lord who has made a life changing impact. Secondly it has been his mother who has nurtured him and held him accountable every step of the way. If you talk with any of our mothers, they will tell you that they believe they have been called by God to raise these children as their own. They are very proud of their children, and I am very proud of them all. Together, we have all made a family that has resulted in the fruit of an amazing man who will in turn impact the lives of others as well.  

Make Way for Carlos!

 Every child is different no matter what part of the world they live in. Some of our Sunshine children quietly slip in, gently joining in with their new forever families. Others, like Carlos, come crashing in...every action and word screaming out, "Here I am...Love me!" 

When we first met six-year-old Carlos, he was very quiet and subdued. He spoke in whispers and didn't make eye contact with us. As we talked with the sisters at the Catholic orphanage where he was staying, I would catch him peeking my way. I'd look at him and he would quickly avert his eyes. I could tell that this little boy was taking it all in. This was a very smart little guy!

Carlos lost his parents at a very young age. He was then adopted by a woman who then recently abandoned him to the streets. He was found and brought to stay at this Catholic orphanage for girls until a place for him was found. The sister in the picture below shared with us that he keeps asking if his mom is coming for him soon. She also shared that he is full of energy and likes to touch everything. We were surprised because of his behavior with us so far. 

Delcio and I were happy to make the 2 hour drive to meet him. We shared with him about our foundation and asked him if he would like to come home with us. He didn't hesitate to say yes. He went off to collect his things. He returned with a plastic grocery bag containing one short-sleeved shirt and one sweatshirt. Delcio and I looked at each other and at the same time said, "Looks like we will be making a stop at the store on our way home!"

We began our walk to the car to drive back to Matola. Carlos took my hand and walked alongside me. Before leaving, he shared hugs with the lovely sisters who had cared for him the past weeks. Children who go through such traumas are for sure in need of affection. We were happy to see he had been well loved.

We left the gate of the orphanage and Carlos jumped up into our car. We took a moment for our traditional "Coming home photo in the back of the car" photo. 

It was at this moment when our quiet, subdued Carlos turned into his real self! A brilliant smile flashed across his face and up went his thumb to show that everything was great! From this moment on, he did not stop talking the entire trip home! Just writing these words makes me giggle. He is simply adorable...full of life, creative, and very intelligent. 

We made stops along the way to purchase lunch, clothing, and a new school for him...as well as a few side of the road bathroom stops too! As we came into Matola, we stopped by our Sunshine Nut Company factory to introduce him to the staff and employees. Everyone rejoices when we bring a child home. He was welcomed with lots of hugs. He displayed very proper manners as he greeted and shook hands with many people. With others like Aida and Rosta, big hugs were exchanged. 

It had been a long day. Five hours had passed since we first met little Carlos. It was now time to take him and introduce him to his new family. Carlos will be living in our newest house #7 with Monica as his mother. He will now have 4 siblings to entertain him... and to be entertained by him! Today Carlos has found his forever family!

Four Less Abandoned Children

Our Sunshine family continues to grow! We are now the proud parents of 30 children! Everyone on our Sunshine Approach Foundation staff… Don, me, Delcio, and Celia, see these kiddos as our own. It is our privilege to invest in them, raise them, and prepare them for adulthood just as we would do this for our own biological children. At times, they delight us and make us proud. At times they do stupid things, and we hurt to see them hurt from the consequences. It is our joy to watch them grow and flourish. Each of our children have come with a story that is filled with abandonment and suffering that most of us are blessed to never have to know personally. They come to us rejected, beaten down, hurt, and scared. Yet once we place them in one of our homes where they have a safe place to live, a mother to care for them, three solid meals a day, an education, and medical care, they transform and get to become children again. 

Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to our four newest family members… Marcia, age 15 in grade 8, Vasco, age 13 in grade 7, Katia, age 11 in grade 6, and Yusna, age 8 in grade 3. Their father died about three years ago. Two years ago, their mother told them that she was going out to get something for them, and she never came back. 

For a time, they continued to live in their home. A friend of their deceased father was paying for their rent. But it soon became clear that he was not just being kind but that he had ulterior motives regarding the oldest girl, Marcia. A neighbor intervened and offered an abandoned house on their property in which they could live. 

I made mention above of their grade levels in school because it has been no small feat for them to continue and keep up with their education. This demonstrates their tenacious desire to be educated, and I am very impressed. They had no one to wake them in the morning, prepare their breakfast or lunch and see them off to school. (Hmmm…I wonder if my own children would have gotten up and gone to school every day if I had not been there to make them go. I remember having to resort to squirting my son with a water gun to get him moving in the morning.) They had no one to check in on whether they completed their homework or studied for an upcoming test. They had no one to buy them a new uniform or book bag at the beginning of each year. They had no one to provide them with school supplies or shoes. They have had no one to tuck them into bed and pray with them at night. But they have independently tweaked out a life for themselves and stayed in school. This inspires me! 

When Delcio and I arrived at their house on a chilly but sunny Mozambican winter’s day, all four children were busy with chores. There was no adult to instruct them as to what needed done. They all know what needs done, and they do it. 

Marcia was preparing the fixings for their lunch- matapa, the leaves of the casava plant which are smashed to a fine consistency and boiled with crushed peanuts and coconut, then served over rice or xima (a corn-based flour that reminds me of thick grits). 

Vasco was collecting sticks for the fire over which Marcia would cook the matapa. Katia was sweeping the floors of their house. Yusna was washing the pots from yesterday’s meal. 

We visited with the children who continued their chores until they were finished, talking with them as they worked. I learned that Marcia and Vasco dream of becoming civil engineers. Katia wants to be a police woman, and Yusna's dream is to become a teacher. 

Once done, the younger three children joined their friends who were in their yard playing a game. The game reminded me of a mixture of Dodgeball and Monkey-in-the-Middle. Two children stood apart from each other with another child in the middle. The middle child had a pile of sticks at his feet. The outer two children threw a sack filled with sand to each other while the child in the middle tried to avoid being hit. The objective for the middle child was to throw out the pile of sticks, one at a time, before getting hit with the sack. If the middle child was hit by the sack, he took his place on the outside and the lucky child who hit him took his place in the middle with the sticks. They laughed as they played. I noted that not once did a child fight, argue, or squabble about anything. There were no adults there to referee or intervene, and they played nicely on their own. 

At the end of our visit, we had to leave the children in their current circumstance until they finished the semester exams at school and received their grades. In the meantime, we returned to Matola to prepare the transfer documents to their new school and to prepare their new home with Monica. 

All of our homes are special, but this home, Sunshine House 7, has a special story behind it. Many years ago, my husband, Don, worked at Hershey Chocolate with a colleague, Cindy Hutchinson. She has followed our social media posts to keep  updated on our journey to Mozambique and our work. Often she and her husband, Mark, have donated generously to our foundation. Along the way, she shared our story with her aunt, Catherine Pentz, lovingly called Aunt Sis by all who know her. Aunt Sis took a fondness to our Sunshine families. She has been so kind in supporting our children and mothers in multiple ways. She remembers them in her prayers each day. 

When I am home in the US, I always visit with Aunt Sis. She is a “must see” for me! She knows each child and asks about each one by name! Aunt Sis, who will soon turn 97 years young, once told me that she now has two things to live for…to see her nephew (whom she raised as her own son graduate from college) and her family in Mozambique. It was Aunt Sis who donated the money to build Sunshine House 7. When I shared with her that this would be our 7th house, she was so excited because the number 7 has great significance to her. She gifted us with the statue of a little boy wearing a jersey with the number 7 on it. This statue has been in her home for many years, and now it is proudly displayed directly in front of anyone who enters the door of Sunshine House 7. 

From the day we purchased the land until the day we moved in the widow who will be the mother for this family, I have sent Aunt Sis photos to keep her involved. I am beyond happy to know that TODAY I can now send her photos of the four children who are going to live happy, safe, prosperous lives because of her! 

On Friday, August 18th we were able to go and bring Marcia, Vasco, Katia, and Yusna home. The night before we went to get them, I was thinking about them and wondering what it must be like for them in their little house that night. What were they thinking about? What were they talking about? How did they feel? Were they packing and preparing to leave?

My questions were quickly answered when we arrived at their house on Friday morning. They didn't even know we were coming for them! They were doing their regular chores while friends waited in the yard outside to play. We shared with them that we were there to bring them with us, and they didn't even hesitate but immediately set about packing all of their possessions in the baskets we had brought with us. They were ready to go! All that was left was for the case worker to sign the documents with the local village leaders.

Then we were ready to go! The children said their goodbyes to their friends and without looking back, climbed into the back or our van. We took our traditional coming home photo of them. They were all smiles!

Today the children moved from this...

To this...

From this...

To this...

From this...

To this...

Marcia, Vasco, Katia, and Yusna settled in nicely to their new home today. Their new mother, Monica, was ecstatic to have them join her in the home. Pretty much every one of our other Sunshine children came to meet them. It was the most joyous of days. 

Tonight, as I write this blog, I am overwhelmed with emotion as I picture them going to bed in a real bed, with a pillow to lay their head on and a warm blanket with which to cover themselves. They are going to bed with a full belly and no worries about whether they will have anything to eat tomorrow. For the first time in two years, they have a mom to tuck them in and pray with them. These are things we take for granted, but we must remember that these things are a privilege that many children in this world do not have. Thanks to our donors and sponsors like Aunt Sis who do remember this, there are four less abandoned children in this world tonight.

I Spy with my Little Eye...

You all know the game of “I Spy” right? So let’s play… 

I spy, with my little eye... hope that will provide for generations of people to come! 

Look carefully. Look very carefully. Do you see it? 

Right now it doesn’t look like much except a barren field, but at each wooden stake in this field is planted a cashew sapling. In 3-5 years, this sapling will start producing cashews. These cashews will provide income for the family that owns and farms this plot of land for 25 years to come! 

Let’s play again. 

I spy, with my little eye… 

DINNER! 

This one was easier to find. This plant is a nutritious meal when served over rice. It is called ortalissa, but the local people call it matsavu. Its leaves and squash will provide many good meals for a family. In the midst of the cashew trees provided to the 300 families in our community farm in Muchenguentava are planted intercrops. Seeds such as beans, peanuts, and pineapple were provided so the families can grow food to eat now while they wait for their cashew trees to produce income. 

Sarah Mugabe is the head of one of these families. I had the privilege of meeting Sarah on my most recent trip to our Sunshine Villages Project in Muchenguentava. Sarah and her nephew have begun planting the 470 cashew saplings that they will receive as part of this project on their 2 hectare plot of land. Sarah comes twice each week to water the saplings and tend the land so that it doesn’t get unruly and overgrown. 

When we arrived out on the 600 hectare Project Sunshine community farm, it was quiet and desolate. It looked like everyone had gone home for the day. But then I turned around and there right behind me stood this sweet woman. Her toothless grin melted my heart. She was so little; if she were to stand on her tippy tippy toes, she would only reach the height of my shoulders at best. She had been tending her saplings but stopped to come greet us. 

Again and again, I am humbled by the happiness and fortitude of the Mozambican people. While the rest of the world looks on them as poor and suffering, they are anything but this. They are content with what they have. They take joy in the simplest of things; the things that we take for granted. They are willing to work harder than any of us Westerners ever would work, and they will go to lengths we would never even consider. Sarah, for example, walks five kilometers to get to her family plot on the community farm. I daresay most of the people reading this blog would do that. She then works under the hot African sun planting, watering, and tending to the trees. When her work is complete, she walks another five kilometers back down the deep sand road to her home. Why does she do this? Because she receives hope for the future of her family and dignity in working for it. 

I absolutely adore the elderly Mozambicans. I truly want to just bring them all home to live with me. So, any chance I get to sit and chat with one of these dear people, I do just that! I always begin by asking them how old they are. Very few are able to answer this question. Birthdays are not celebrated here like in other parts of the world, so they often lose track. She was able to remember that she was born in 1945. I did the math and was shocked to calculate that she is 78 years old. She looked healthy and strong and much younger than this. When we asked to take a photo of her, she immediately put her hoe to the ground and took a pose like she was working. There is no doubt she is proud of her work. When asked what her secret to old age is, she responded, “To love God.” 

Sarah was born, raised, and has lived her whole life in Muchenguentava. She has raised four children who have all gone off to pursue their own lives. Her husband has died, leaving her a widow. She said that at one time she did have work, but now she has nothing and no money. She knows the value of her plot of land and the trees she has planted there. Those trees will provide a nice life for her. This is why she happily tends to them, despite the effort in doing so. She promised us that she would work very hard to care for her trees and help them become fruitful. We asked her what she would do with her money once the trees mature and she can harvest and sell their cashews. She said that she wants to add on more rooms to her house. Don shared with her that his hope is that she will be able to add 10 bedrooms onto her house! She lit up with the biggest of smiles and giggled. 

It is people like Sarah for whom the Sunshine Villages Project was created. This has been my husband’s dream for over a decade. It is everything he has worked and strived for. It has been my privilege to walk alongside him and to see the joy in his face and the tears in his eyes as he sees his dream for the poor farming families of Mozambique becoming a reality. He is not doing this for himself. He will gain no material rewards from this project. He is doing it for Sarah and hundreds more families like hers. For the both of us, this is a far greater reward than riches.

My Easter Joy...Resurrected

When a holiday is approaching, I begin searching online for crafts, games, and activities that I can do with our Sunshine children. I want our holiday parties to be fun and memorable. Yet every time, it is beyond challenging for me to find crafts, snacks, and games for which we have the supplies here. Oh what I wouldn't do to have a Dollar Store or Hobby Lobby craft store nearby!!! 

Two weeks ago, I began searching online for Easter ideas made with supplies we have available for purchase here. I came up empty time and time again. 

I found a great project where you put blue painters' tape on paper, paint the paper with watercolor paints, and then remove the painter's tape to reveal the cross underneath. But...no blue painter's tape here. I only could find masking tape, which tears the paper. 

There were lots of necklaces and bracelets to be made with beads and crosses on them. But...no such materials here.

There were crosses that you bedazzled with sparkly stickers. But...no bedazzling supplies here.

I found the resurrection eggs that can be used to retell the story of Easter. But...there are no plastic eggs here.

I found the Jelly Bean Prayer in which the colors of the jelly beans represent different parts of the Easter story. But...our jelly beans only have the basic colors- no purple, no pink, no white.

I began to fret and whine. How could I have a party without party supplies? Ohhhhh how I wish we had some fun craft supplies.  Ohhhh how I wish I could acquire all of those cute little bunny, chick, and egg novelties that we take for granted in the USA for being available each year for Easter. Our children would love them! I was frustrated and just plain bummed-out!

And then...I had this wake-up call last Saturday.

I was CONVICTED beyond conviction as I came upon one of our children literally passed out in a chair instead of outside playing on her Saturday afternoon . This precious, sleeping child re-taught me what Easter should be about. Yes, I already knew this season is about the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. But what I didn't know was how much I still cling to the Easter traditions I was raised on. I still was hanging onto the materialism of bunnies, eggs and baskets. I still held the incorrect assumption that these things make Easter better. I tried to hold the world and my faith in the same hand, but the world was taking over the faith. As I looked upon this sleeping child, I realized that she realizes this so much more than I do. 

You see, here in Mozambique, people prepare for Easter by attending all-night prayer and worship vigils- not by hoarding up scads of candy, novelties, and toys for Easter baskets. Our 8 year-old Fatima had attended a vigil the previous night with her Sunshine family. Now, she was sound asleep in the afternoon. Fatima had given her whole night to Jesus. She knows the true meaning of Easter. She doesn't need an Easter basket, a chocolate bunny, or plastic eggs. She's got better. The bunnies, peeps, and eggs take away the joy we should be able to find in Jesus alone. 

We are having our Easter celebration tomorrow with our Sunshine children. We will watch a video that retells the Easter story. We will not have resurrection eggs, but resurrection bags with the verses and symbols in each one. I rewrote the Jelly Bean Prayer to include the colors of jelly beans that come in our bags. We will focus on Jesus and His finished work on the cross. There will be no bedazzled crosses, no plastic eggs, and no chocolate bunnies. But there will be hearts that rediscover how very much their Father God loves them. Isn't this so much more valuable than anything else?

A Day to Celebrate Hope

Our long awaited Sunshine Villages Project is well underway in Mozambique. Cashew seeds have been planted and grown into saplings in the nurseries and are now being planted on the community-owned farms. In 3-5 years, these trees will be producing a yield that will provide lasting sustainability for the families for generations to come. If each family cares for their trees, grows them to full capacity, shells the cashews in the community mini-factory, and sells them to Sunshine Nut Company at the market price, their annual income will grow from $33 USD per year to $4,700 USD per year! The project is currently up and running in two villages in the southern province of Gaza and in six villages in the northern province of Cabo Delgaddo. In accordance with Mozambican business tradition, we recently held the opening ceremony for the government and community to celebrate the official opening of the Gaza project. The best way to share the events of this day is with the photos we took. 

This may not look like much, but under this protective canvas are over 100,000 cashew saplings. 

Each of these tiny saplings represents hope for current and future generations of families.

All lined up along the nursery, local leaders (chefes) and community guests await the arrival of the governor of the province and the administrator of the district. They arrived in a caravan of motor vehicles, led by a well-armed crew of police and secret servicemen. They came along the line to individually greet each person. 

Government officials, including the governor of Gaza Province, Margarida Sebastiao Mapandzene Chongo, the district administrator, local chefes, and their staffs were given a tour of the nursery. It was rewarding to see our staff of Mozambicans conducting the tour and interacting with the government officials. Here Sitoe is explaining the details of growing the saplings. 

Next we led the motorcade out 5 kilometers more into the bush to show them the Sunshine Villages Farm Project. This land is to be kept in the name of the community and belongs to them. Each family is given 2 hectares of land and will plant 476 cashew trees on their plot. The governor herself planted a tree that will benefit the community.

Wherever the governor went, the armed police and her secret service people were always on the look out for her safety. 

Next we traveled to the site where the mini-factory will be built. Our project manager, Amade, shared the plans with the governor as Papa Don, the visionary behind it all, looked on. 

Is he cute or what?

The governor put on work gloves, a construction helmet and vest and laid the first two cement blocks for the factory. We all agreed she would make a fine mason!

And then came the speeches. First, the local chefe...

and more and more speeches...

...and we couldn't leave out a speech by Papa Don!

Next came the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the government of Gaza and Sunshine Approach Foundation to work together to uplift the farming community.

The community members that have been employed by the foundation to clear and prepare the land for the nursery and farm sang and danced. They were so proud of their work for this project and for their community. 

Not to be outdone, the ladies of the community also sang, danced, and presented the governor with a basket of ata (a local fruit) and cashews. 

Last came a lunch fit for a king! Everything was prepared by the women and men of the community. 

Don and I had the privilege of joining the governor at the head table. 

At the end of the day, one of our employees presented Papa Don with cashews from the tree that grows in her yard. A precious gift that came from a thankful heart.