I have mentioned a number of times that Mapendo is rebuilding her mother's house. Her house was destroyed during the war, and her mother has been living in a refugee camp for the last year and a half.
Mapendo is the youngest child in her family. She is only 20 years old, and is the only member of her family who is physically handicapped.
Yet she has been rebuilding her mother's house on her own. (ok, so she is not exactly hammering the nails herself, but she is buying everything including the nails and paying the builder)
I wish I could find a better way to explain how impressive this is. In Congo, handicapped people, especially young women, are expected to be a burden on their families. How beautiful is it to see the reverse.
And now, finally, the house is finished. Her mother has left the refugee camp and moved into the new house!
There are still way too many refugees in Goma. In some cases it is simply too unsafe for people to return home. In other cases they simply have nothing to return home to. But, still, today there is one less refugee. And one very happy daughter.
"We can do no great thing. Only small things with great love." Mother Teresa
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