The claws of Poverty

A bouncing baby boy born

It was in the middle of one summer night after a long busy day of substantial farming, everyone in the house of three was tired of that long day of ploughing.  The father,  daughter  and mother although these days she was no longer that active in hardworking beacause she was on her last weeks of pregnancy, it was a matter of time for her to deliver a newborn child. Farming provided daily bread to this small family.

This night was the longest night in the family. A scream was had as the mother cried because of labor pains, the baby was on his way. The biggest struggle was to get means of transportation to the nearest health facility. In the village there was only one family who had a car. They have been great help to villagers around this small village. They car has been saving lives more than what ambulance has done.
After getting the car they rushed to the nearest clinic where the baby was born. The car was already wretched because of these bumpy and dusty gravel road which the politicians only cared when they doing their voting campaigns. And after they got what they wanted, you wouldn't never see them up until next local elections campaigns. There was no complications like what they experienced with the birth the first daughter.

He was given the name Mutshidzi meanig saviour. The neighbors , church members and relatives couldn't help but to offer few clothes as gifts to the newborn. The struggle was how to keep the child in good health and hygiene since during summer heavy rains water would flood into the shack. Through  the help of God's grace the baby managed to survive those all days and was welcomed to the world of poverty, becoming strong every given day.

As they went to the farm they made sure that the boy had a small hoe for him to join the ploughing with the family. Always showing the triats of venda people of hardworking at this tender age. Showing bravery as the continuous triats from his forefathers. The father would always say he is the gift from the Almighty God to save His family from circle of poverty. This boy showed Fearlessness and wisdom that made other kids to always want to be acquainted with him.

The sister had to teach this young boy hoe to read and write from very young age of three. Although His parents were not that educated always believed that education will bring liberty to their enslavement brought by poverty. They had dreams to use the small salaries they obtained from the tea plantation farm where they used to work seasonally. Their dreams inculde to take their kids to best schools, but due to alcoholism and tobacco  addiction that the father was already into the dreams seemed to be blown away.

It seemed to be that the two parents met together in the farm and poverty made them to stand strong together because as the saying goes two are better than one. Their both relatives care a little about how the couple was surviving the reality of poverty.

During the seasons of unemployment they would struggle to get a meal for the day, only to rely on wild vegetables and fruits, sometimes fishing would come to the rescue. When the father is going through stress he would blame Himself for the poverty striking their family, he would find means to get drunk untill he could barely walk. The problem came when He started to be abusive to His wife and kids. He would verbally and physically abuse them, later to say sorry when he was sobber the next morning. Countless times did the wife and kids tried to get away from for her safety but no one was there to rescue her from this sorrow. She changed churches praying the same prayer of help but it seemed like the heavens we closed for her prayers to be answered.

The lad saw what was going on but he felt helpless since was only but a kid. From these tender age he lent to speak to God. Mysteriously so, he seemed to find comfort and relief from praying.