Teaching One to Teach Many

Mandiswa's dream
Today I sat down and visited for some time with Mandiswa Tshaphela. Mandi as we call her helps teach computer skills to the women who attend the sewing class and, as seen in the photo, some of the other young men and women who work at Living Way. When I needed to find a new helper, Mandi was recommended by a friend. At first I was not sure when we might continue the computer class but Mandi's persistence
moved me along to get the class going. As soon as I met her, I was impressed with her seriousness and even more when I read the recommendation from Jan, the woman who had invested her skills in Mandi. I also liked that Mandi saw this as a calling and not a job. Once she got started, I quickly learned not to interrupt her classes for any reason. I liked that. As we chatted today, I learned more about her family and like so many others, Mandi has to help support the family she left in the Eastern Cape. I also learned that she and her husband have started to build a home there,something quite common to Eastern Cape Xhosa people who have relocated to Cape Town to find jobs. Like all of her students, she too lives in a shack. With her skills and now her experience, Mandi can most certainly get a well paying job, instead she has now taken another job with Living Hope that helps fulfill her calling to care for other people. One of her Living Hope tasks is to visit the women who live in a nearby homeless shelter where she prays with them and helps them understand what HIV and AIDS is and other chronic diseases. Mandi told me: "I want to learn as much as I can about helping people and one day, return to the Eastern Cape to help my people. They know so little, especially about HIV and AIDS, some have never seen a computer and I want to help." My heart was filled with emotion as I realize that the investment I make in Mandi, helping her hone her skills as a teacher and helping her earn an income to help her family is all seed that will be replanted and , in time, bear so much more fruit. Through Mandy many others will get that opportunity to learn. We reach one, to teach many. I thank God for Mandi whose strong faith inspires me.