"...distance is short when your hand carries what your eye found..."
We received word from Zimbabwe this morning that Manuel, our friend Elias' son, was stabbed trying to retrieve a bag of stolen sugar. Below is the email from Mo Davy, a Zimbabwean friend -
From: mo davy
Subject: Manuel - please pray...
Date: December 7, 2007 2:06:41 AM EST
To: chaddo, pete, braddigan
Cc: eric@eliasfund.org, jeb@dispatchfoundation.org
"We may need a bit of help. There has been the most awful tragedy. Manuel, who spent the morning with us discussing the various subjects he was going to take for his BCom, was stabbed this afternoon. Apparently there was a lad in the village who stole some sugar Honest had been given... Manuel went to reason with him this afternoon when he got home from us. Anyway the lad then stabbed him once in the neck, then in the head - hard enough to drive the knife right through the skull and into his brain.
"Elias traveled with the ambulance as poor Servie is too distraught to be able to - he's been fitting a bit too, and it is very distressing - especially with the knife still in.
I'm not sure we will be able to find the amount that it will come too - it's going to be in the region of 50 billion - so that will come to about 30 thousand US if my figures are right. Could even be more depending how things go - if he survives to have the surgery then he will need quite a lot of expensive medication to reduce the brain swelling and so on.
"I just can't believe it - he's the nicest lad and so gentle and kind - and Elias' family - it feels as if one of our own boys have been hurt, and it's almost too much - seems there has been so much thrown at us these last few weeks - just hope that it's the dying kicks of satan... please pray for Manuel.
Manuel's life is in danger; the need is urgent. To assist our friend Elias and his family, we are creating an emergency medical fund - The Ndakasimba Trust.
And, the Dispatch Foundation, together with our friends at The Elias Fund, pledge to donate any and all funds received over the next month to help defray the enormous medical cost of this tragedy.
Ndakasimba kana makasimbawo - "I am strong, you are strong."
