It’s a dull ache—and long, low rumblings.
I know what it’s like
to wake up hungry.
I came to South Africa to ensure that my children wouldn’t wake up with hunger pains. But it was hard to find work here. Eventually I found myself standing in lines at soup kitchens, just trying to survive, and having nothing to send home to my family.
It wasn’t the pain of hunger that pushed me to persevere, or even the shame of standing in line at the soup kitchen. It was my children’s futures that I needed to secure. I’m their dad. It’s my responsibility.
Some Christian businessmen at my church saw my discouragement. They were fathers—they understood the weight of responsibility that a father feels to provide for this family. With their encouragement, I started a small business. I’d never run a business before, but they took time to teach me how to run a business.
There were long days and nights I’d lie awake worrying what the next day would bring. There are no guarantees when you’re running a business, but I pressed on. And slowly, my business grew.
Now I find myself back in my home country, Zimbabwe, looking into eyes that hold the same traces of fear that mine once held.
It is time to give back.
It’s time to take everything that I’ve been taught about running a business and offer it to my countrymen in Zimbabwe. Their challenges and fears are ones I’ve known well. Now I can share with them from the other side, just like the men from my church did with me.
My story—my struggles
and successes—
are not mine alone.
God is using them to strengthen the shaken confidence of other fathers and mothers.
PAUL
Car Wash Owner in
Benoni, Johannesburg
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