In the afternoons I normally go for a walk. About two months ago a lady approached me while I was strolling along. She said that she was given shelter by someone and that she is a jobless single parent. She showed me a hand written CV and she said that she was on her way to the SPAR grocery store to look for a job as a cashier. She then asked me for R 20 (about $2) in order for her to get some medicine as her stomach was burning very bad. This woman was really in a terrible state and looked homeless. I felt sorry for her and gave her the money she asked for as I had some cash on me.
This afternoon I was again taking my daily walk. The same lady approached me but she looked a lot different and presentable. Her hair was neatly done and she was wearing make-up. She asked if I remembered her since I gave her money for medicine a while back. I said yes I remember her and that she was looking for a job at the time. She told me that she got a job as a manageress at a purified water outlet nearby. She said that she is in the process of getting her own wendy house where she would stay. She said that all she want to do is to thank me for giving her the money for the medicine when she needed it so badly.
This story really touched me that someone can be so grateful for such a small gesture. I never thought that I would have ever saw her again that day when I gave her the money. I’m so happy for her that she got the job and that she is in the process of finding her own accommodation to support her child. Life is tough on the street. I’m so happy that I was able to make a difference in someone’s life. I normally get so wound up in my own situation that I seldom get to think about other people that might have it worse of than me.