For the past six years, Norberka, a famous vocalist in Benin, has gone to great lengths to spread Holiday cheer to hundreds of Orphaned children who yearn to feel wanted and acknowledged.
Every year in her hometown of Sahoué Doutou, Benin---Norberka puts on a free Live music concert and also contributes a large portion of her yearly earnings to purchase food, gifts and school supplies for as many orphan children as her funds will support.
Furthermore, she expends a great deal of energy to rally the town dignitaries, the local king, volunteers; and insures that they not only commit to being present at the event; but that they also give speeches to honor the children.
This is the length to which she goes, in order to raise money to provide school supplies for each Orphan child during the fall & winter semesters. Without parents to purchase backpacks, writing instruments, notebooks and even clothing for school, these kids are often deprived of the tools that are minimally required to attend school.
On this side of the Atlantic, my colleagues and I do what we can on a personal level to help support Norberka's cause.
For Orphan Children in the country of Benin, Holiday seasons are a time when deeply buried feelings of exclusion often bubble up to the surface. Non-Orphan children in West Africa are deeply tied to family, ancestry and cultural traditions. The absence of familial influences and traditions in the life of an Orphan, may compel that Child to construct an inner reality that is rooted in feelings of abandonment. And there's no time like family-centric holidays to remind an orphan child that he/she is alone in the world.
We all know what its like to feel left out----- but to simultaneously feel "Left Out" and "Less Than", is like experiencing an emotional trauma that unfolds in three predictable acts: discovery, distress; and, ultimately detachment.
Norberka's efforts to introduce these children to the modern ceremonial practice of gifting; encourages them to feel more acknowledged, loved and nurtured; resulting in a vital cathartic experience that lovingly ushers each child towards a path of recovery.
Reciprocity is a strong feature in African society; it is, in fact, a feature of any well-meaning community of sentient beings. In Benin, a thank you is often demonstrated with more than mere words.
The young orphans who benefit from her generosity often find very creative ways to demonstrate their appreciation to her, but to Norberka HUGE SMILES are enough!!!
Thank you to members of the Steemit team for inspiring me to start writing:
