Journey to Bulembu: A Pandora’s Box for Monique

For this post, I asked Monique van Haaren to share her story of Bulembu. What makes the Bulembu part of the story so magnificent is the backstory. So, that’s where she starts. Part II will take you on her trip (with me) to Bulembu. I know you’ll be as touched by this story as I continue to be. Monqiue, the floor is yours…

For the first four years of my life there was only silence. Because of significant hearing loss, I heard nothing. I was sent to a school with other children who were deaf or had some hearing loss. Being at this school meant I would learn how to live life without the sounds of life. It also meant being away from my parents and younger sisters except on the weekends. Hearing aids taught me how to maneuver through the daily grind but I never felt like I belonged. I didn’t belong with the other children at the boarding school, and I certainly didn’t belong at home. The silence in my heart was deafening.

I spent many years struggling with depression, and in 1990, I went to a psychiatric hospital for treatment. I lived there four days a week for more than a year. But the problems persisted so much so that I stopped going outside of my home. I was terrified of meeting and talking with people, always feeling like I didn’t belong. The only person who ever really made me feel accepted was the man who became my husband, Rene. We have two beautiful children, 15-year old Glenn and 12-year old Kim. But each day with them meant that they were now locked in the same prison with me, a bedroom with the curtains drawn with no connection to the outside world. Thankfully, my parents were there to help and they cared for Kim for the first year of her life.

The van Haaren's: Rene, Kim, Monique and Glenn

Slowly, I developed the courage to seek ways to leave the house so I decided to volunteer at a place that serves people with mental challenges. My job was to serve coffee and talk with them. While I enjoyed it, I still felt afraid that I didn’t belong.

One year ago, a co-worker gave me a CD of The Canadian Tenors. Not thinking much about it, I took it home and put it in the CD player. I wasn’t really expecting anything. After all, I had never really “heard” music before so why would this be different?

When the music started, I found myself at the kitchen table shaking uncontrollably and weeping. I didn’t know how it was happening but I knew that I could “hear” music for the first time in my life! Suddenly, I heard emotions and feelings, in myself and in the singer’s voices. This is what my therapist calls the opening of Pandora’s box for me! I listened to the CD over and over and every time, it was the same as the first time. I felt determined to find out more about this group, The Canadian Tenors.

Interestingly, I started “meeting” a lot of Tenors fans on Facebook. They all spoke of similar life-altering experiences while listening to their music. Whether their songs helped them through a particularly difficult time in their lives or they felt healing from an emotional wound, souls were being touched in profound ways.

Through these new Facebook friendships, I felt safe. I was still at home, so there was no way for people to reject me. But I also wanted to change things in my life. I didn’t want to live like this anymore. My first thought was to go listen to The Canadian Tenors in a live performance. But the closest place to me here in the Netherlands was a show in London. How could I not go? Yes, I was terrified but I had to go! I ended up meeting so many of the people I had befriended on Facebook. And to my amazement, they all seemed to accept me as I am. I had the chance to meet the Tenors after their performance, which was even more emotional and inspirational than I ever imagined. They were so genuine and interested in ME. They wanted to hear more of my story and made me feel special. For the first time in my life, I felt like I could do so much more!

I went home inspired to learn more about them and to try to figure out a purpose for my own life moving forward. I discovered the charitable work the Tenors were involved with in the town of Bulembu. The stories of the people in Bulembu touched me. I felt a connection with them and understood the struggles they were trying to overcome. My heart was ready to do more.

In exploring ways I could try to help, I had become fast friends with Theresia, who was also becoming more involved with The Canadian Tenors and Bulembu. To start, I translated the Bulembu web site into Dutch so my fellow citizens could learn and understand about the mission in Bulembu. Some of us decided to host a Canadian Tenors Fan Day in Holland and raise money for the benefit of Bulembu. It was all still very safe because I was back in the comfort of my own home. But I knew there would be more, and I knew more meant leaving that comfort zone.

It was September 2010; almost time for the annual Voices for Bulembu concert featuring The Canadian Tenors. Two shows in British Columbia would raise money for the Bulembu charity. Theresia and I began talking about going together in an effort to learn as much as possible so we could both continue to support the charity with our respective talents. And so we made our plans. I flew from Amsterdam to Vancouver by myself to meet a woman I’d never met in person and stay in a town I’d never been to before and to participate in activities and meetings I’d never dreamed of all while speaking a language I hadn’t used much before. Talk about a Pandora’s box!

In the Netherlands, I could always read lips in social settings. Reading lips in my native Dutch is easy. Reading lips in English is altogether different. I had moments of wondering what the heck I was doing but the entire trip was a success for me! I felt that, through The Canadian Tenors, the people in the organization of Bulembu International, and other fans I’d met at this event, I belonged on this earth, and I could be the person God intended me to be!

Back home, I started preparing for the Fan Day event in October, which ultimately raised nearly $4,000. I ended up doing a presentation for the guests at the Fan Day and one for a local school who expressed an interest in supporting the orphans of Bulembu. The tremendous support and encouragement I received gave me a new desire: To go to Bulembu! And that opportunity came along when Scott Campbell asked for a team of people to travel to Bulembu to become voluntourists. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, a trip of a lifetime. I received complete support from my husband and children, and I would make the trip with Theresia.

Monique and Theresia prepare to leave Schipol in Amsterdam for the long flight to Johannesburg and Bulembu.

Journey to Bulembu: Never a Dull Moment

It’s hard to believe I’ll be boarding a plane and heading for the continent of Africa in just nine days. Too much has been happening in my own life to keep me from really enjoying the preparation and anticipation experience. A kitchen renovation that has turned into a nightmare. Serious health issues that have made me doubt whether or not this trip would even take place and kept me in close company with my family physician far more often than I prefer. Snow and major ice storms that left me wondering if I would ever see grass again. And now, so much rain that Indiana is experiencing more flooding. Never a dull moment.

But I’m not the only one never experiencing dull moments. Recent unseasonable rains caused significant flooding in Bulembu earlier this year. Thankfully, there were no injuries or fatalities. But continued progress toward self-sustainability has been delayed somewhat as efforts to aid in repairing damage to buildings, property and infrastructure located in the flooded areas have forced resources to be redirected. Two steps forward… Three steps back. Isn’t that how life seems to happen sometimes?

That’s why we can’t let up in our efforts to support what’s happening in Bulembu. The 2011 Voices for Bulembu campaign has just been announced and once again, The Canadian Tenors will headline the fundraising concert in Vancouver, Saturday, September 17. But we can’t wait until September to start our giving campaign. It needs to continue throughout the year without inhibition. Be encouraged by this update of a previous post about a fundraiser where all proceeds went to Bulembu International.

Angels for Bulembu “Wings of Hope” was the Christmas charity event hosted by Gia Masi Rooker last year. As many as 150 friends, colleagues and celebrities that live in the Cave Creek, Arizona valley came to lend a helping hand, as they do for her yearly charity event. Live music, raffles and donated prizes along with amazing food and holiday decorations, which were featured in the local newspaper, created a warm environment for giving. Gia reports that her charity event raised $20,000 in funds and the company for which she works, CVS Pharmacy, donated children’s vitamins for the orphans of Bulembu.

You don’t have to know celebrities or have loads of money in order to contribute. You can give the gift of one dollar to help one of the children in Bulembu. Gia’s gift is to entertain; she’s got a special knack for it, and she’s an amazing hostess! People love her infectious smile and enjoy teaming up with her to give in big ways. Some of us are more reserved and don’t relish the thought of having a hundred people traipsing through our house, even if it is for a good cause. So, we give in private. It doesn’t matter how you give. I’m sure Gia and the private donor will agree that the gift you receive in return is immeasurably more than the gift you give.

A dear friend recently shared with me: “There are those who give little of the much which they have – and they give it for recognition, and their hidden desire makes their gifts unwholesome. It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked, through understanding…” (Author unknown)

Facing a dull moment in your life? Not me! And with this trip coming up, I think it’s about to become even more un-dull! Search your heart and ask what you can give. Step out and make one dull moment come to life.

The Canadian Tenors in Bulembu

Voices From Bulembu: Darryn de Souza

It’s been a couple of weeks since the Canadian Tenors returned from their second trip to Bulembu, a tiny town in the Kingdom of Swaziland. This trip was designed to show the progress that’s been made in the two years since their last visit, since they threw their support behind the Bulembu Foundation as ambassadors through Voices for Bulembu.

Their newly appointed Musical Director, Darryn de Souza, joined the Tenors on this trip. It was his first visit, and by the emotion projected in his voice, it won’t be his last. When I asked him what he felt upon reflection, he replied with one word: Humbled. Darryn said he was touched most by the children. These were children whom they had never met but were greeted as if they had been life-long friends. Despite the trauma these children had lived through, they were still happy to have these visitors from North America. And the feeling was apparently mutual as Darryn described how they all had to be pulled away from the children at the end of each day. And each day found them all wanting to spend every spare minute in the baby nursery or with the older children.

Darryn and the Tenors actually started their trip to Africa by visiting the Maasai Mara region of Kenya on a Me to We trip and helped to build an orphanage, working with the organization Free the Children. A Voices for Bulembu fundraising concert in Pretoria, South Africa and safari were on the agenda before their stop in Bulembu. As Darryn and I spoke about the beauty of the natural landscape and the awe-inspiring wildlife they saw, he noted that very few of the animals were ever alone. It reminded him of the children in the orphanage in Bulembu who were starting to understand what the Foundation was providing for them, an opportunity for them to allow other kids and other people to come into their lives, to make friends and have companionship.

So many of these youngsters have seen nothing but violence and have been victims of violence. Many come to the orphanage not trusting but once they begin to understand that they can receive the good things that come with loving relationships without punishment, they begin to blossom and learn to trust without barriers.

For Darryn, his visit to Bulembu was a life-changing event. In his own words: “When I touched some of those kids, the feeling was electric. I could not recreate that feeling with anyone I met except those children. When we were playing (music) for those kids, I could have played all night. The music suddenly became more important. Being there and giving something that’s not monetary, that’s the most important thing. They made us feel so much better than we could have ever made them feel.”

Darryn says there is no better way to support a child than to support the Bulembu Foundation because the Foundation finds a way to provide a better way of life.

We are less than two weeks away from the final Voices for Bulembu fundraising concert. That means less than two weeks for the fan fundraiser. Won’t you join Darryn and the Canadian Tenors and Raise YOUR Voice for Bulembu?

Darryn de Souza, mountains of Bulembu, Swaziland

The Global Crisis

Allow me to overwhelm you with some staggering numbers.

There are 143 million orphaned and vulnerable children in our world. If all of these children were moved to the country of Mexico, Mexico’s population would more than double, growing from 108,700,000 to 251,700,000.

There are approximately 47.5 million orphaned and vulnerable children in Sub-Saharan Africa.

There are approximately 5.9 million orphaned and vulnerable children in Middle East and North Africa.

There are approximately 37.4 million orphaned and vulnerable children in South Asia.

30.1 million orphaned and vulnerable children live in East Asia and Pacific.

9.4 million orphaned and vulnerable children live in Latin America and the Caribbean.

There are as many orphaned and vulnerable children living in Ethiopia as there are people in greater NYC.

Almost 1.5 million children live in public care in Central and Eastern Europe. That’s our world.

What about the United States?

More than 800,000 children pass through our country’s foster care system each year. There are over 500,000 children in our foster care system right now; 129,000 of those children are waiting to be adopted right now. That’s how many people live in the capital of South Carolina (my home state).

Approximately, 25,000 children age out of the foster care system each year, many with no support system and little to no life skills.

This brings us to the question: How many total children are adopted each year? Between 118,000 and 127,000 children have been adopted every year since 1987. More than 50 percent of all adoptions are handled by public agencies or come from countries outside the United States. More than one-third of Americans have seriously considered adopting, but no more than 2 percent have actually adopted. Only 4 percent of families with children (1.7 million households) contain adopted children.

(Statistics courtesy of Christian Alliance for Orphans)

Are you overwhelmed yet? Me, too. At times the numbers are dizzying. It’s enough to make you want to throw your hands up in the air and say, “Forget about it. What can one person do?”

Actually, one person can do a lot. I’m not suggesting everyone needs to rush out and adopt a child. Adoption or foster care isn’t for everyone. But, we can all care for orphans in one way or another. To start, pray for them the world over. Most of them know heartache we could never even fathom so prayers are needed.

You can also support the Canadian Tenors as they serve as ambassadors for the Bulembu Foundation through Voices for Bulembu. The Tenors have heard the cry of the orphan; they have seen the staggering and heartbreaking statistics in the very real faces of 2,000 orphans in this tiny town in Swaziland. Raise your voice for one child. It might not seem like much to you but to that child, it will mean the world.

Click on the banner to be redirected to the Bulembu reSTORE online (and secure) donation catalog.

Voices for Bulembu: Tales from Mozambique

I met Debora Hoeksema through Facebook because we both happened to be Canadian Tenors fans. It wasn’t long before we discovered our bond went deeper through a passion for helping orphans. Together, we developed the Canadian Tenors fan site and have worked on Raise YOUR Voice for Bulembu, a fan-based fundraising initiative in support of the Tenors’ efforts through Voices for Bulembu. Today, Debora shares what she experienced on her own mission trip to an orphanage in Mozambique. It is but a glimpse of what the Tenors have seen and will see when they return to Bulembu in August.

Debora, the floor is yours.

Who hasn’t seen those heartfelt commercials on TV of children in Africa, orphaned by AIDS or war? I must have been about seven or eight years old when I first saw one of those commercials and told my parents that I wanted to go to Africa to help those children. They were the words of a little girl, but I did think back to them when I stepped on a plane to help out in an orphanage in a rural area of Africa last January.

Over the years I had read so much about the continent – its problems and culture – that I felt prepared and ready for my adventure.  A bit naïve I know now. The hardship the people of Africa have to endure is something people from the Western world could never imagine. How could I ever be prepared to see people starve for food, or mothers walking 30 KM in 50 degrees Celsius to the orphanage to get some powder milk because malnutrition has not given them enough milk to breastfeed? How could I ever be prepared to see a baby die?  But most of all how could I ever be prepared to see children and people who were so joyful and happy despite the difficult lives they lead.

Ruama, the orphanage, where I worked for three weeks, is in Mozambique and home to 50 children. The children are usually placed in the orphanage when they are very young, some of them only a couple of hours old. All of these children lost their mother, and some of them also don’t have a father anymore. At the house they are in the good care of local women who raise these children with the culture and customs of the area, so they can adapt better when they are placed back with their father or other relatives. A question I have heard many times when telling the story of my time at Ruama is, “Why would they place those children back with their relatives and let them grow up in poverty?” The answer to that question is one that shows the strength and character of the African people; for them family is the most important, and not sharing what little they have with an orphaned niece or nephew is not an option.

And they don’t only share with their family. I was only in Africa for three days when the pastor of the orphanage invited me to listen to his sermon that Sunday and come to lunch at his house after church. I accepted his offer, partly because I was curious what his life would look like, and partly because I knew that refusing this offer would be very offensive to him and his family. His house was nothing more than a pile of wood. His wife and children were awaiting my arrival inside. They had borrowed a table and chairs and plates. And I had to sit in the best seat. And if I wasn’t feeling awkward enough, I was offered a drink: A bottle of Coca Cola. That doesn’t seem terribly impressive when you we buy them in bulk without thinking about it. But how would you feel if you knew that one bottle of Coca Cola cost him more than 50% of his monthly income? That one little, insignificant bottle of Coca Cola was a big eye opener for me. I recognized that the people that hardly have anything are the ones capable and willing of sharing the most.

Ever since I came back from Africa, I have been trying to find ways to become more giving and motivate others to do so too. The great thing is that you don’t have to think big. Start by thinking about the little bottle of Coca Cola. Something small for us is something big for the people in Africa. So consider for one day, don’t buy that meal at McDonald’s or that delicious Frappucino at Starbucks. Instead use that money to make a change for a deserving person, family or town.

Lately I have been involved with a charity called the Bulembu Foundation. Bulembu is a town in Swaziland that once was deserted because of high unemployment. But with the help of a group of entrepreneurs, the town is going to be restored, giving hope and a life to more than 2000 people by the year 2020. A feasible goal that is backed up by celebrity ambassadors the Canadian Tenors. Besides being great artists, they are also great human beings who use their talent to give back to those not as fortunate and prosperous as themselves.  The Canadian Tenors will be returning to Bulembu in August to check on the progress that has been made since their last visit. I am pretty sure they will be seeing a lot of the hardships I witnessed in Mozambique. Progress is being made but it is slow. However, like myself they have been touched by the happiness, determination and generosity of the people there. And even though their effort is admirable they can’t do it on their own. Wouldn’t it be great if all of us would step up and show the people of Bulembu that, far away in a world they can only dream about, there are people who care about them?

If you wish to make a difference, start by clicking on the banner below. You will be redirected to the Bulembu restore website, where you can make a donation starting as low as one dollar. The Canadian Tenors are doing all they can through the Bulembu Foundation and Voices for Bulembu to make a difference in the lives of the citizens of Bulembu. Won’t you consider joining this team and give hope to a nation that needs it?

Restore a town. Transform a Nation.

Bulembu is a small town in the northwestern region of Swaziland and is privately owned by the not-for-profit organization, Bulembu Ministries Swaziland. This once booming town was almost deserted when nearly all of its 10,000 residents left after the main employer, a mine company, shuttered its doors in 2001, requiring residents to seek employment elsewhere. Today there are approximately 2,000 people in Bulembu, and the AIDS epidemic continues to change the landscape.

Swaziland itself has a population of more than 1.1 million but it also has the highest rate of AIDS cases in the world. Statistics indicate a 900% increase in AIDS cases from 1992 to 2002. The current life expectancy is approximately 32 years of age, and, with the negative growth rate (-.41%) coupled with the current death rate, the Swazi people will cease to exist by 2050.

Bulembu was purchased with a vision to rejuvenate the town to a self-sustaining entity that combines sustainable, innovative enterprises with orphan care for Swaziland’s most vulnerable children.

The Bulembu Foundation‘s mission is as a not-for-profit organization serving Jesus Christ by restoring hope to the people of Swaziland through community enterprise and community care and accomplishing that goal by 2020.

The Canadian Tenors joined forces with Bulembu Ministries Swaziland through Voices for Bulembu, their annual concert raising funds to continue the transformational work taking place in Bulembu.

“One cannot help but be inspired by the countless signs of hope,” reflected Canadian Tenor Fraser Walters. “This hope is especially embodied in the children of Bulembu who, with continued support, now have the opportunity to become the country’s future leaders.”

Fans of the Canadian Tenors have launched a supporting initiative called Raise YOUR Voice for Bulembu. By going to www.bulemburestore.org, fans can view the online catalog and make donations that will go toward the final dollar amount raised by the Tenors at their cornerstone weekend event, Voices for Bulembu: A Legacy Weekend at Mission Hill, September 17-19, 2010.

Donation categories include:

Orphan Care – The town of Bulembu needs a new generation of leaders to emerge equipped, engaged and prepared to contribute to the transformational work so desperately needed in Swaziland. The Total Orphan Care and Education program ensures all physical, emotional, spiritual, and social needs of each Bulembu child are being met.

• Medical Sponsorship
• Food Sponsorship
• Caregiver Sponsorship
• Clothing & Housing Sponsorship
• Education Sponsorship
• Total Orphan Care and Education Sponsorship

Enterprise - Community Enterprise focuses on building profitable businesses that will add more than job creation; it will contribute to the overall development of the community. Donations come in shares, which have no monetary value and are non-redeemable and non-refundable. But they represent real capital required to launch a new enterprise in Bulembu.

• Bulembu Bakery
• Bulembu Dairy
• Bulembu Conference Center
• Bulembu Tree Nursery
• Bulembu Fish Farm
• Bulembu Biomass Energy Plant

School – The town’s elementary and high schools are providing the children with a world-class education but there is always a need for more educational resources.

• Library books
• Computer
• Sports equipment
• Sponsor a teacher

Home – There are 1,200 homes in Bulembu, most of which need to be restored before new families can move in.

• Bricks
• Screws
• Windows
• Beds (with mattresses)
• New electrical
• Paint for interior/exterior
• Roof
• Restore an Orphan Care home

Environment – Bulembu’s 1,700 acre property has countless opportunities to rehabilitate and rebuild with greener, more sustainable strategies.

• Tree planting
• Solar panels
• Property rehabilitation

Gift cards are also available and general donations can be made one-time or on a monthly commitment.

Won’t you Raise YOUR Voice for Bulembu on behalf of the Canadian Tenors?