The children have a choir for some time now and recorded already 2 cd’s. Since this year Agape has also a dancing-group and it’s wonderful to see them busy.
Last Saturday the children were allowed to perform in the ICC, the great music centre in the centre of
After a stumbling start, the show took off and there were three head artists who gave the best of themselves.
We were informed that part of the sponsoring would go to Agape. The check was handed over in public to Pamela, manager of Agape.
Then of course she was given the microphone. She expressed her gratitude and announced publicly that all the children have AIDS.
I could not believe my ears! In public, in front of the camera and so many people in the arena, she said that the children of Agape have AIDS. I specifically checked if I heard well … it was namely all in Zulu, and yes, it was confirmed to me up to three times. I thought: “How humiliating for the children.”
Also in South-Africa it is not allowed to make the status of people common knowledge without having permission to do so.
And certainly not to proclaim that a group of children has AIDS while you know that these children DO NOT HAVE AIDS.
In less than 3 minutes I got the next surprise. Zodwa, the manager of Agape got the microphone and said that she was very grateful for the donation of R20.000-00 and that this was the first time someone ever helped them. She said with a loud voice: “NEVER has anyone helped us.”’
It made me laugh … laugh very hard, certainly because just a short while before a part of a film was played in which was to see that the children recorded a CD and made a luxurious trip to
On Sunday we could meet the children in the garden of a lounge bar in Kloof. It was very cosy and we could spend the whole evening with the children.
Many amongst you know that I have a very close relationship with these children, so know that I enjoyed this tremendously.
And of course, the event of he day before in ICC was brought up.
The children were angry, very angry. They expressed their dis contentedness about the fact that there was said that the children have AIDS. They don’t know what to do. They are afraid to say something because they fear to be thrown out and to loose their shelter.
I feel sorry for them and would like to support them by putting this story on my weblog, so I can at least tell that it is not true.
The humiliation they have to bear now on top of all other things they had to suffer in their young lives, is unbearable.
I hope this may help a bit.
Gunter
