Friday, February 6, 2009

"Excuses"

(from Zack in Serenje)

So every day there are some men who don't show up for work. They are all what they call "piece workers" meaning they aren't really "employees" but they are regular workers, so I have to ask them the next day why they were absent. It is usually sicknesses with them or their children. Today I heard a new one. Rodgers, one of the slashers (grass cutters) didn't show yesterday. When I inquired, he told me that his house collapsed over the night. That's the first time I ever heard the "my house collapsed" excuse.

It is bad that I find it kinda funny, because it isn't funny at all to him. He is a 20 year old guy who just lost his mother and his dad had died several years ago. He is caring for his brothers and sisters who are left orphaned at home. Please pray for Rodgers.

He is a unique worker, he came to me around Christmas time looking for a job. I told him i didn't have any more jobs, as I told the other 30 men that came looking for work that week. Rodgers pleaded with me, almost in tears told me in broken English how he was desperate to feed his brothers and sisters. Now, every two weeks he says with a smile, "thanks, now we can have food".

3 comments:

Metropuritan Mark said...

Zach, this is an amazing story. Thanks for sharing it. Wow, our hearts ache for these people.

I want to talk to you sometime about the Malawi connection. Do you have plans to go there? We'll be in touch,

- Mark

Chris Brauns said...

Thanks for these updates. They are very helpful!

Jared said...

Zach, Steph and I read through the blog tonight. We're so encouraged with what God has you doing in Zambia through you and others. Thanks for the consistant updates and pictures. They really help us gain an idea of what is happening at the facility. Would love to come see things in person sometime. I've told Steph that I want to come over in the next few years. We'll see about when. Keep up the good work brother.