Knowledge is power

Every day we work to educate and empower our staff and our children with knowledge, because we believe that knowledge is power (a phrase coined by Francis Bacon). Twice a month we host a guest speaker who presents information to all our 300+ employees by circulating around the farm and speaking to departmental groups about various important topics. Once a month the topic is health related (HIV, TB, Covid-19, STD’s, nutrition, family planning) and once a month it is a “social issue” topic (woman’s rights, children’s rights, domestic violence, incest). The topics are chosen by our Human Resource team based on what our staff are asking for.  These are kind of like a “lunch and learn” from my old marketing days, but with topics that are more life and death.

 

Of course our children are always learning and they are sponges for knowledge. There is no opportunity too big or small to teach a life lesson or something more practical. I often find myself telling stories of my childhood or passing along a gem of knowledge that my parents taught me, and the children always have many (MANY!) follow up questions.

 

A couple of weeks ago we had a few children who had very strange and serious allergic episodes causing us all to wonder what they had gotten in to. I asked our Farm Manager Maganda to come up to the children’s campus with Nurse Anthony to look around and see if we had any poisonous plants that the children might have come in contact with. HA! After we got a video, photos of poisonous plants and a phone call, Ian suggested that we never leave the house again.  Not only is Project Canaan covered with poisonous plants, some are even the beautiful flowers that the children will sometimes pick and bring me or to a teacher at school.  It was time for a new type of education!

 

Lisa from our U.S. office made the poster at the top of this blog that shows the most dangerous plants and we quickly distributed that to all staff. Next Nurse Anthony went for long walks with all the big kids (house by house) to educate them on how to identify poisonous plants, why they shouldn’t touch (or eat) them and what might happen if they do. Knowledge is power. I KNOW that the Lord has been protecting these children for nine years because no one has been violently ill (that we know of) from these plants, even though we pass by them every day.

 

Our three oldest kids (Phiwa, Rose and Gabriel) had a very special educational adventure last week when they enjoyed their 10^th birthday gift, which is an all-day safari at a real game park here in the kingdom (as opposed to a 2-hour game drive at Hlane when they turn 6 years).  When they returned they were anxious to tell Ian and me all about their day. Their report was incredible as they each shared the best part of the day (including the extravagant lunch that was Gabriel’s favorite part), but it was the level of detailed understanding that was bewildering. Not only did they love seeing the rhinos, but were quick to explain that they saw both white and black rhinos and what the difference was. They talked about plants and trees and then gave a detailed explanation of the three different types of meat they had for lunch, including Kudu.

 

I love that our children and our staff want to learn and seek knowledge. King Solomon wrote in Proverbs 1:7-8 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.” We are striving to raise our 278 children to be wise, listen to instruction, obey and then enjoy living a blessed life of obedience.

 

Speaking of Solomon, just this week we received a newborn baby boy whom we gave the name Solomon, because it seems that we need the knowledge of Solomon more than ever these days. From Covid-19 to deadly poisonous plants, we are surrounded by danger, but we will not be afraid because we know that the Lord is protecting us.

 

If you would like to sponsor little Solomon on a monthly basis and help us raise him in the knowledge of the Lord, please do so today by clicking on one of these links.

 

Child sponsorship in Canada:  http://bit.ly/hfahopestartsca

Child Sponsorship in the US:  https://www.heartforafrica.org/HOPESTARTS/

 

Live from Eswatini … praying for wisdom always.

 

Janine

PS  Please be sure to watch this video of our Farm Manager explaining two very deadly and poisonous plants that are ALL over Project Canaan and all around the children's campus.  Sheesh!