Meet Alfredo

As is typical of many large cities, Maputo has a certain magnetism that attracts homeless people in search of the too-often-empty promise of a better future. Thousands of children, orphaned or abandoned, find that they are not exempt from this cruelty. Laura's friend Sarah, an American missionary living here with her husband and young family, share the following story:

Last night, on our way home from a local art fair, we were confronted by one of the many sobering realities of life here in Maputo. A young street boy approached us and asked for money, so we gave him $0.25 and suggested that he use it to buy himself some bread.

Before long, he had returned and was asking for more money. We noticed that he had bought some chewing gum from a street vendor. A little confused, but thinking perhaps that he was going to sell the gum for a small profit, we asked him why he had bought gum instead of bread.

We continued talking to this young boy. His name is Alfredo, and lives out here on the street. We asked him where his mom and dad were. "They're both dead." He has sisters in Panda, about 7 hours north of Maputo, but no family here. His step-mother had brought him to the city, but had later abandoned him.

This 11-year old boy, smaller than my son Kaleb, was hungry, desperate, dirty, smelly and wearing oversized, ripped clothes that exposed to the world his lack of underwear. After five minutes of listening to Alfredo's story, our kids piped up from the backseat, reminding us of our family verse: Matthew 25:31-46. Kaleb said, “Dad, I just keep hearing in my head, 'Whatever you have done to the least of these brothers of mine you have done it unto me.'”

We decided to do something unconventional. We took this boy home with us and gave him soap and shampoo so that he could take a shower. Kaleb, who is 9, picked out some new clothes for him. He would wear a Twins baseball jersey and shorts, white socks and some tennis shoes.

Fifteen minutes later, the difference in this boy was amazing. His dirty, sullen face was replaced with a bright, smiling one. His slacking posture was now more upright. The clean clothes and some soap and water washed away a bit of the depressing street life and shame that he is so accustomed to wearing. He and Kaleb played basketball in the front of the house, just like regular boys. No black. No white. No rich. No poor. Just kids smiling and having fun.

We decided to go out for a chicken dinner together. The restaurant we chose is a prime target for begging in Maputo, and chances are very good that our young Alfredo has been shooed away many times by the same staff that would now be serving him dinner. You should have seen this kid. He sat at the end of the table with wide eyes and watched closely what our kids did. He tentatively ordered a grape Fanta and chicken with French fries. He tried hard to use his fork and knife to eat, then gave in to the peer pressure and used his hands like everyone else. The kids all took turns writing their names and playing tic-tac-toe on scrap paper.

On our way to the restaurant, as we were sitting at a stop-light, an elderly woman came to our car window begging for money. Young Alfredo reached into his pocket and pulled out one of his coins that we had given him earlier. Reaching his hand out, he said, “Here, I have one. Let’s give it to her.” Can you even stand it?

Sarah and her family were touched by their encounter with this young boy who could easily have remained anonymous and quickly forgotten. Instead, they have a new friend to watch for as they drive down the streets, and to pray for with their children as they put them to bed.

The seed of an idea is germinating in their minds about starting a Saturday morning ministry for the abandoned and orphaned children of Maputo, taking them out of the city to land where they can run and play, where they would prepare food for them and let them shower and get clean clothes, and where they could be reassured that they are loved beyond measure.

Others have already made reality out of similar dreams. Mozambique has several homes for these malnourished, forgotten orphans. Not enough, perhaps, but homes nonetheless.

Our friend from Canada, Julie Collins, came to Mozambique for a couple of weeks in March to spend time loving some of these fortunate few who live in an orphanage in Zimpeto, just outside of Maputo. Julie loves to share story after story about the children that she has met. She talks about their bracelets and other handicrafts, their toy cars with aluminum can wheels, and their car tire acrobatics. She tells stories of proud children who relish hearing their names spoken to them, many of them knowing their name as the only possession that is uniquely theirs.

Each of these children was, at one time, like Alfredo. And one day, Alfredo may be like one of these orphans who have found a home.