"The Best Meal We Never Ate"

Arm in Arm in Africa: In Malengeni: Saturday Mar. 1- Monday, Mar. 3, 2003

We have just returned from Malengeni. Our stay there was much too short, but we were able to fit a lot of things in. The evening we arrived, we were treated to a concert by a group of teenagers, 16 in all. The exuberance they demonstrated in their singing and dancing belied the poverty in which they all live. The group is actually composed of approximately 60 members, the majority of whom were away at boarding school in Umtata. Most of those who danced for us were in the village because they have no money to attend the boarding school. We were all very impressed by these teens and were moved by the desire to sponsor the education of one or more of them.

In a later conversation with Rev. Spiwo, we discussed the practicalities of putting something in place. He has promised to get back to us soon with details on how we can help. The problem he faces is that there are so many immediate needs - water for the village, fencing to protect crops, food for those who are starving, etc. It is extremely difficult to prioritize needs. But the need in the long-term for strong, educated leaders is vital. When we have more details about sponsorship, we will post the information on www.arminarminafrica.org.

the home of the village chief

The next day, we kept busy visiting the nursery school and the primary school. Several in our group had good conversations with the principal about the needs of the school. We also visited the Canzibe Hospital and were given a tour by one of the doctors. In the afternoon we were very fortunate to be able to meet with the village chief of Malengeni. He is very ill and is, in fact, dying. He was very gracious and spent time visiting with us. In the tradition of the Transkei, we presented him with gifts of food. Later we learned that the chief’s brother asked Rev. Spiwo how we knew there was absolutely no food in their home. Our timing could not have been better.

On this trip we have seen many people who are suffering the ravages of AIDS and other opportunistic diseases. While education among the young people is improving, there are still many cultural stigmas among the older generation about discussing HIV/AIDS. Everyone knows people dying of AIDS, but they do not put that name to it. In general, the issue is avoided.

When we bought the food for the chief, we also bought food to be distributed to some of the neediest in the village. Unknowingly, we had put Rev. Spiwo in a difficult position. How to give food to some when he was unable to provide food for all? In the end, he suggested we host a dinner party that evening, giving us the opportunity to share fellowship as well as food. The distribution of the provisions could be done later in such a way as to not offend the villagers. Several of the women came to Rev. Spiwo’s house and began cooking a traditional Xhosa meal in the early afternoon, preparing food for over one hundred people. When the guests began arriving, we knew we could have prepared twice as much; there were close to 100 children alone, plus another 60 teens and adult men and women. The children were sent through the line first. We were amazed at the size of the portions they were given - what we would consider an adult sized amount - and they ate every bite. The women were fed next, and we were able to provide bread and fruit for the men and teenage boys. As I looked out across the lawn at the many faces I couldn’t help but think of the story of the loaves and fishes: the miracle of sharing. Rev. Spiwo told us the Xhosa also have a proverb about sharing. When confronted with the problem of how to share a single grain of rice, they cut it in half.

Our Community Dinner

When the evening was over and all the guests had gone home, we all agreed that this had been the best meal we had never eaten.

Jeff and Rita Nohner have volunteered to act as scribe and shutterbug for this journey to South Africa. Jeff is also the designer of the www.ArmInArmInAfrica.org website which we encourage you to visit.