Jabulile is a young Zulu mother who cleans houses to earn a living for herself and her daughter. We met Jabulile this past year as we started training people to serve in an area of Durban where there is a high degree of homelessness. A church in this setting ministers to homeless people and women who are struggling with survival in the city. Jabulile volunteered at this church when they host a weekly lunch for homeless women. We started training Jabulile to be a health builder. She was so eager to learn that in a few months she was done and had joined us and four other medical students from the Nelson Mandala School of Medicine in training the others at the church in Durban! After a few more months, Jabulile started to do health screening, education and referral for HIV, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity in her own area called Inanda, about ½ hour away from the center of Durban.  Life expectancy in South Africa overall is 49.5 years but in Inanda it is certainly lower.  This is largely due to the relatively higher rates of HIV in this growing peri-urban slum filled with people hoping for a better life in Durban than they have found elsewhere. We were with Jabulile last Saturday morning when we set up health stations at a local school which was ½ burned down. Even though it was a cold and rainy morning we had 15 people an hour coming by and receiving health screening from supplies provided through White Cross. A man who played guitar told us he would come back and play for us. As his elderly father received screening, he started singing and playing for us! What a blessing. On the way out, four medical students and I had tea at Jabulile’s home. We visited with her twenty young chickens that we provided to her that were being brooded in a side room. Jabulile is training 2 others in her community as health builders. We see the whole picture of God’s grace being carried out in Jabulile’s life. We are proud to be able to equip and train Jabulile, as well as provide her the business and nutritional opportunity with poultry production.

Blessings,

Rick Gutierrez