Loss

Fighting fatigue, rain, heat and hunger, seven powerful and dynamic saleswomen from AtoZ put on their blue uniforms and walk daily door to door selling bednets to the people of Arusha.
One of the AtoZ saleswomen invited me to meet a client who had purchased the net from her. This woman lived in a small, simple, mud walled home, barely lit with incoming light from holes in the ceiling. She seemed so solemn as she shared with me that she suffers from malaria at least twice per year. The good news is that since she bought the bednet six months ago, she has not suffered. It took her two months to save the three dollars required to buy a subsidized net. Toward the end of my visit, stepping over a chicken running in the doorway and two small children staring at me intently, she shared with me that her son had died the day before. He was at his teacher’s house studying, when robbers burst in and began shooting. I could see the pain in her eyes, and all I could do was tell her how sorry I was for her loss. This strong and beautiful woman made me think about life's fragility and reminded me to cherish the gifts we have of family and health before they slip away.