Giving away things can be complex in our context. Sometimes things aren’t really that useful to the way things are done in this culture. Other times it’s tough to be fair because giving to some people also means others are excluded and this can cause tensions which we usually don’t find out about until later. I miss the days of dropping off items at Good Will or having a garage sale with friends.

So what do I do with my stuff? I keep a box of things to give away (mostly extra book and outgrown clothing/shoes).  And then when that box has grown to 4 or 5 boxes and it’s in my way, I divide it out and give it away, knowing that it won’t be fair but it has to go. I’ve seriously been thinking about bagging it up and leaving it along the roadside. It would be a jackpot for someone to find. However, something even better has come up this time.

Our church is collecting clothing to replace some of what was destroyed in the fighting in the town nearby where houses were burned (straw roofs were lit, people ran for their lives as these roofs quickly burned and collapsed, and their possessions were destroyed). This excites me. First of all, the Komba church is taking action regarding a real need in our area. They’re doing this by collecting clothing. Secondly, it has reduced my 4 boxes of give-aways to just 1. Most of it is shoes and clothing, but I wish I could see the face of the person who receives the purple hippo backpack that we’re no longer using.