I love this image of a heart with wings. It’s a beautiful symbol of love, hope and dreams. And to me, it’s also a reminder of a special day I spent painting murals with children outside the Kondwa Day Centre for Orphans in Lusaka, Zambia, during a three-week journey in Africa with a girlfriend of mine.
Kondwa means “be happy,” and on this day several delighted little faces peeked out from behind a brick wall to see what my friend and I were up to. We had begun to paint the first mural, and we could tell the children really wanted to join us. They looked so cute and curious, so how could we say no? So we waved them in and handed out paintbrushes. They eagerly began to fill in the pink of the heart, and as you might imagine paint began dripping and flying everywhere! Pretty soon it was all over their heads, eyebrows, arms, clothes and feet (most of the children didn’t have shoes), but they continued to paint with huge smiles on their faces.
As we added the final touches, I picked up the water bucket to refill. The kids, who weren’t used to having clean water to drink or bathe in, dove in wildly, washing their hands in the dirty water and then dumping the bucket over their heads. I showed them that I was going to bring back some fresh water from the sink inside the school grounds. When I returned with the fresh water, I helped them clean up.
I did sneak the tiniest girl, 3-year-old Diana (the one in the photo with the crazy-cute braids), to the bathroom to clean up. I decided not to wash her legs or feet because they would be dusty in two seconds running around outside. One little boy was pretty upset because someone got paint on the back of his shorts. I did the best I could to help get it off, as I’m pretty sure it was the only pair he had.
This was an amazing experience I’ll never forget. If you’re inspired to find out more about the amazing foundation behind the school, click here.
—Gia Duke is a professional life coach who helps passion-fueled, purpose-driven trailblazers stand out, both on and offline, so they can make the impact they’re here to make. Find her at Giaduke.com.
