new zealand rugby photos

Mother to mother, from child to child: how an understanding of the loss of families connected worldwide

The give away lots of toys in the double room size.

Josh gave another plastic wonder is his hand and decided to sleep in if I could give it away. In the morning, the toy was always there, as proudly at the top of the mound, like a Christmas tree star-a shining symbol of a child who could not understand the meaning of their gifts.

What he could not understand was that gifts be given to children not unlike himself, who were all orphans. But to get toys in the hands of other children, Josh accompanied his mother on a trip away from home in New Zealand to Uganda, where he gave three weeks in March. A Despite the marked differences in culture and language, Josh and his mother uses her understanding of the loss of a deep relationship with women and children in the village of Ndejje, and created a bond that would last longer than toys and balloons and chewing gum they had brought.

Erin Cassidy was married to her husband Paul for two years when she became pregnant with her first child. Three months pregnant, she discovered that Paul had bowel cancer. As Erin fuels the life of her son, she saw her husband dying. Just five months after Josh emerged in the world, Paul came out of it. Erin was alone with his son Paul and seven year old daughter. The world, apparently, never turn the same direction again.

Four years later, Erin was working as office manager of a company he loved, the Global Volunteer Network (GVN), an organization based in New Zealand, which helps connect volunteers with communities in need around the world. Erin had seen hundreds of people signed to volunteer through GVN. The more I thought about volunteering in itself, but could not get a special program for your mind: Empowering Widows project in Uganda.

When Erin was delivered made a remark to a friend at church about the project, he said the flight booking and invoice it. When he realized it was serious, she did, but she did not do it alone, she took her five-year-old son, Josh, with her.

"I wanted to show that although we think we do not have much, and have struggled here, have more than others can only dream of, "he said.

As for Erin, the trip was a sort of coming home to a foreign land where he could offer their knowledge of pain for others to lean on.

"I was aware what I was trying to see Paul waste away, "he said." Most of the widows in the empowerment of widows lost their husbands because of AIDS who have seen their spouse get sick and die. "

AIDS has devastated Uganda. Beginning in 2003, were 530,000 adults living with HIV / AIDS, and 2.2 million orphans, a population of 24 million people who have lost one or both parents to AIDS. The pressure this has created in the communities and families has been hard to bear. Since the husband is the breadwinner of the family tradition in Uganda, his death often leaves the family in a serious financial crisis.

Empowering Widows works project to give women choices about their financial future and provide an outlet for making hard choices between food and education, water and medicine, body and home. The project was initiated by a local organization in Ndejje, and with the help of GVN employs international volunteers to help teach mothers and widows of practical skills for living. For Erin and Josh, which meant helping to build the pig pens women to raise and sell pigs for profit.

"As a widow, I know how hard it was, and is sometimes for me and my children," said Erin. "And I live in a society where social welfare assistance received, had friends and people to help the church and had support organizations where I could go talk. I know how he did not want to accept help from anyone. And yet here were these women so proud to be so funny. I am ashamed to say that I probably was not so kind to accept the help of the scale I have received. It was very humiliating. "

A Language own
When Josh was interviewed about his trip, he spoke as if he was the spokesman for alleviating the suffering of the poor, he had to say was important, and hit the recorder to make sure it was rolling.

When asked what was the most difficult part of your trip instead of say, food or heat, or cold showers, he replied: "The hardest thing was to let them go. I wanted to stay there longer to help them."

For a child whose eyes have seen much, Josh started with only a vague sense of what "poor" really means. When walking the streets of the city in Uganda, gave high beggars and not five, giving noticed that his hands were extended to ask for something more.

"It's one thing to say to the children and every parent has said," You eat with that, because there are people who have nothing. "But it's just words until you see for yourself that there are children who really have nothing. He thinks it may be difficult if not the luxury of McDonald's. "

Josh quickly became a celebrity in town, and not just because of the toys that were delivered.

"Wherever I went, I was touched, pushed, pushed, and was so well with it," said Erin. "We've never seen a white child before, so there were a lot of looking. The children go up and grab him and hold his hand. "

He said he did a better friend in town, but can not immediately remember his name, he can remember, however, taught him to play rugby and Duck Duck Goose.

"I think for children, they just have universal language of their own, "Erin said." I really do not care what it looked, or what they had. They were just kids together, running down the street and carries out. "

The saddest thing
The decision to take Josh to Uganda was not easy to do. But in the end, Erin decided she could not go without it.

"Josh and I did a lot of talk before leaving Uganda," Erin said. "We saw the photos and really talk about what it means not to have a dad. There were a lot of knowledge in the head as much as he could, as a period of five years. "

As far as Josh prepared for travel, which can not always put your mind at ease.

"I do not know much about AIDS before going," said Erin. "I knew that many of children who would play with AIDS. I have a little paranoid thinking, 'What if he falls and cuts and is playing with these children? "That was my greatest concern. I do not think that even crossed my mind once we were there. "

Despite its relative safety and adaptability of Josh, Erin not recommend the trip for each child.

"I think it depends on the child," she said. "It would be very difficult for some children, even to see those conditions. Josh is very sensitive. "

In his interview, Josh said how sad it was for children in Uganda more than a dozen times.

"[I] very unhappy," he said. "I thought the place would be okay, but it did not. The saddest thing is that children had no parents. And there is no grandparent. "

One afternoon, when he met an orphaned child with Down syndrome, dressed in rags, he gave his shirt to exchange it for a tacky. Erin is a story told before, but she still cries to her account.

And is not the only history that emotional Erin. There are faces I can still remember, and perhaps always in the shadow of his life.

"At one point, Josh has a little breathless and had his balloon," said Erin. "I only had one. A lady saw that I had and what she wanted for her son. It was horrible because I could give her. That's something that sticks in my mind. Was I right? God knows where I would have found other. Imagine not being able … all they had in common was only love for our children. You want them to have health and the basics, and without concerns. "

There were some moments of the trip, it was hard for Erin to keep her composure.

"The first week, which was a cabbage, "she said." The culture shock was just terrible and overwhelming. I felt like no matter how much money was in the world, you never correct these problems. But once the jet lag disappeared and I used to heat a little more, it was like, well, what you can do to make a difference, you do. "

Never Regret It
It may be a small thing, but Erin's family does not run the water when they brush their teeth anymore. At work, when someone calls with a question about GVN, Erin can transmit your voice the urgent need for volunteer help.

"When you refuse, only the impacts positively on how to live the rest of your life, "he said." Regular, everyday people can go to help someone. No one can ever prepare you for it. I had seen pictures, videos viewed, but in the end, the reality was very different. But after those early days, when change comes, I can not see how you ever regret it. I just can not. "

From its corner in New Zealand, months after the initial excitement of their trip may have disappeared, Josh and Erin are still deciding to do everything possible to make a difference.

"This Father's Day, we had no dad to get a gift" Erin said. "So instead, we bought a goat from World Vision to anyone. I am much more aware of the little things. You think," What is it going to do for someone? Now I know the difference it can make. "

For Josh, the difference lay in the hands held, games and even given toys.

"They [the toys] they were all very special to me, but I knew I had to give them away," he said. "[Children] felt a little happier. I felt very sad for his mom and dad. He was happy. "

Maybe you've heard from her mother, but he repeated with the conviction that all six years old can muster: "I think that sticking with me throughout my life." He says he wants to volunteer later in life.

For more information check out volunteering: http://www.volunteer.org.nz/

For larger items in Volunteer check out: http://globalvolunteernetwork.blogspot.com/

About the Author

Megan Taddy is a freelance writer with a B.A. in Journalism and International Studies who completed a media internship with Global Volunteer Network (GVN), an organisation that helps connect volunteers with communities in need.
http://www.volunteer.org.nz

Please ensure that all GVN content has an accreditation to the GVN website. You may not directly or indirectly change, edit, add to or produce summaries of the GVN content. A courtesy copy of your publication would be greatly appreciated.