The Christmas season is upon us! As we’re out shopping for gifts for our precious children, I’d like you to stop and think about how it makes you feel to be able to buy your children gifts. I’m sure you love to see the joy on their face as they open their gifts on Christmas morning. It makes you smile, doesn’t it? Your heart feels full to be able to provide the wants and needs for our most precious little ones.
Now, I’d like to ask you to look at it from a different perspective. What if you were not able to provide Christmas gifts or even the most basic needs for your children? What would you do? How would you feel? It’s a somber thought, but it’s a reality for millions of parents around the world. Here is the story of one of our Dributts families living in extreme poverty and what she did for her children.
While in Leogane, Haiti this past September, Dributts was doing a diaper drop in an extremely poverty stricken area. Over 300 moms had come from several local villages to receive diapers for their babies. After the drop was over, we were packing up to leave when a mom arrived with 5 children. She had heard by word of mouth that we were going to be in Leogane passing out diapers. She said her children had been sick with diarrhea and she really needed the diapers for her 2 youngest. We asked where she lived and she said Jacmel, which is about a 3 hour walk to Leogane. We were shocked when we realized she had walked down a mountain, over 3 hours, with 5 children! We talked with her a while, and learned they had not eaten for a few days. We gave them what snacks we had, water, and diapers. She was so thankful and grateful to receive all that we gave her that day. We also learned that she had some health problems and was not feeling well and she requested a medical check up. We had to explain to her we did not have a medical team with us to do a check up. After they rested, were hydrated and fed, they were on their way back home, over a 3 hour walk back up the mountain.
The picture above shows the rags the mom had tied around the baby's waist to use as a diaper. It was the best this mom could do. She walked over 6 hours, down and back up a mountain, in poor health, hungry and thirsty, with 5 kids who were also hungry and thirsty, just in hope she could get diapers for her babies who had been sick with diarrhea. That is love. Someone donated 4 Dributts diapers that we gave to this mom for her 2 small children allowing this mom to have proper diapers for her babies. That is love.
This holiday season, lets remember what’s important and how something as simple as a diaper can make such a difference in the life of those who do not have anything. Merry Christmas!
