Yebo-Hampton

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Speak Up

A sell-out crowd enjoyed the Hampton-Piggs Peak Fundraising dinner on June 12. Special thanks to Holly Singh of Holly's Restaurant and her staff who served up a feast of delicious African-theme dishes, to Greg Ferguson who did his usual masterful job as master of ceremonies and to the many others involved in making it an evening to remember.

Through proceeds from the dinner, individual donations, and tickets on a painting donated by Glenn Hall, we raised $4,300 that will go toward garden projects in Piggs Peak.

The highlight of the evening was Nontokozo's heartfelt and moving address about her life and experiences in Swaziland. "In front of you… you see an orphan", she said. "I was thirteen years old when I lost my father. I had to take on many responsibilities making sure the children have food, the children are going to school, they are doing their homework, they are wearing clean clothes. It is not an unusual thing in Swaziland. Half the students at Fundukuwela High find themselves in a similar situation as mine".

She continued, "You know sometimes when I talk to people about my life and the life of people in Swaziland, some feel like crying. But that is not the solution. Crying is not the solution. You can imagine someone when they have lost someone they really love. It is not the solution to come to that person and cry. You have to comfort that person. That is the solution." Nontokozo went on to explain, "I am a product of the Hampton-Piggs Peak Partnership. I graduated last November as one of the top students in my school and that was because of the support you gave me… I worked very hard at school. I really did my best. And most of the students at Fundukuwela High that you are supporting are doing their best. They want to please you. And I know that in giving this to the Swazi people you will get a great reward from God".

Nontokozo's story is one that is common to many young people in Swaziland. "When my father died I missed several months of school because my mother could not pay for my school fees. She couldn't pay for my siblings' school fees." But through the donations of the people in Hampton, we were able to pay for Nontokozo to attend school. I'm sure that everyone who has met Nontokozo would agree that we should be very proud of the result.

Nontokozo and John Lovett returned to Swaziland on June 21 but their visit has left a lasting impression on our town. At the dinner Nontokozo told us, "I am very much grateful to all you Canadian people. I really love you." For many of us, the feeling is mutual.