Today was a very moving day. One that will never forget.  I have been in South Africa for over a week now, in Johannesburg.   I came here to play at the jazz festival here, "Joy of Jazz.”  I was a special guest with a band so I arrived earlier in the week to rehearse for a few days.  The Performance was wonderful; the audience was very appreciative and vocal (love that!) They showered us with wonderful energy.  I got a chance to go out to the audience after and people came up to me and told me how much they enjoyed my playing and music. I was really really touched by their words.  They told me I really moved them.  It continues to amaze me every time I’m in a different part of the world, how powerful music is and such a universal language.

         While I am here in South Africa I am taking in part in helping with a mission called "Rebecca’s Well.”  The first time I came to South Africa (last year) I did a benefit concert for Rebecca’s well.  Rebecca’s well is an organization that raises money for women in South Africa who need help.  They help with finding housing for women and their children, jobs, emotional support, whatever these women/mothers need.  Yesterday and today I have gotten a small dose of what the less fortunate areas of South Africa are like.  I’ve never seen anything like it in my life,           We had lunch with a lovely woman who owns a restaurant (a friend of the organization.) She took us on a tour of the Township "Alex", which was very eye opening.  Shacks, no indoor bathrooms, litter, and houses placed extremely close together are everywhere.  There are over a million people living in this tiny town of two square miles.  Children run into the streets to play since there isn’t any room to play in a backyard or in their house.  The most astounding thing was driving around.  We were in a regular looking area, took a turn and all of a sudden everything looked so different. Houses turned into shacks, stores turned into dumpster looking trucks. It was so extreme.

 Alex was the first city Nelson Mandela rented an apartment in. And when I say apartment I mean a room.  We visited the room he was in and there was a sign with some historical information.

         Today’s journey was amazing. We went to Soweto and went straight to the children’s feeding shelter. I got to meet lots of adorable children.  Our guide took us to a small house, much better living conditions, Gov’t Housing, than in "Alex" but still no where near how people should have to live in the 21st century. I was greeted by all these incredibly enthusiastic little kids running to me and grabbing my legs.  They were SO adorable..ages from 5-14.  These little girls wouldn’t let go of me or stop giving me hugs and they lit up my day with their beautiful smiles and giggles. 

 We went to the corner of the "house” (an outside space) and I sat down.  Immediately 12 kids surrounded me and a little girl jumped on my lap.  Then they started touching my hair and kept saying "so soft.”  I told the girls that their hair was beautiful as well.  Everyone had their hair in braids and the texture is very different.  I don’t think they’ve seen anyone with my type of hair before.  I took down my hair for them and everyone was at my head..the girls were braiding it, it was very funny.  While a couple of them were braiding my hair, the others wanted to hold my hand. I felt a bit like a human playground! (In the best possible way.)

         When it was time for feeding, all the kids got into a line.  I helped with putting food into each plate and giving it to the kids.  I was told that this is sometimes the kid’s only meal for the day, or for a few days.  The shelter tries to provide as much food as they can for the kids but they run out money quickly and cant always provide.  After feeding some of the kids go back home if they have mothers and fathers to go back to.

         We had very hungry children, some coming back for second and thirds. Our very large pot of food ran out very quickly.

I then took out my saxophone and started playing for them. The kids were fascinated, their eyes got big while watching my fingers move and some of them pressed a few buttons on my horn.

The kids sang me a nursery song they all knew and I played with them. The sound of their voices was so beautifulI love the pure tones of these young kids; the high notes ringing out so clearly and together the sound is full of joy!!

I then did a little call and response song with them where I sang then they sang.  I played, and they sang.  I put it in lots of handclaps and fun rhythms for them as well which they loved.  They were full of smiles and giggles not to mention LOTS of enthusiasm!!!  They all clapped at the end and it was already time for us to go.

As I was packing up I talked to the woman who is in charge of the shelter.  She was saying it’s amazing for the kids to meet other people and that the gift of music was so special for them.  Earlier in the week they met other people from the US (who were part of Rebecca’s Well.) They loved all the new faces.  She was also saying any help they can get with funding is extremely helpful.  They try to feed the kids as much as they can, but sometimes they cant because they run out of money..  This woman hugged one of the founders of Rebecca’s well for a very long time and there were tears coming down her face. It was very moving.  As I was packing up and leaving these two young girls ran in.  They both had their arms around me, wanting me to pick them up and give them piggyback rides. Which I did!

         As I was leaving the kids were all singing the song I had played for them and clapping their hands.  It’s amazing how fast young ones pick up on music.  It doesn’t take them long to get it and the melodies stay in their ears. Even this melody they had never heard before was internalized and remembered in their heads 20 minutes later!  The woman of the organization said some of them said to her they were still hungry for more music. It was so touching.  The kids were all waving to me and saying "bye Grace.”  I really wanted to take them all home with me.

         I’ve never seen lives like this before.  I’ve only seen things on TV and read about it.  It’s a completely different experience to meet these people, see these kids and experience it through my own eyes.  I realize that none of us have a choice of what family we’re born into, where in the world we’re born and our circumstances…it’s something we live with.  I feel so fortunate to be in the situation I am In with an incredible family and a dream I able to live.  My hope was that I gave some inspiration to the kids today. The translator told them that I was only 10 years old when I started playing (many of them were that age) and then they were told about my journey in music.  I have no way to relate to they life they live, but I hope and pray that they will be able to find a passion and talent in life that will help them get out of their situation and lead a comfortable happy life. Rebecca’s well is helping them do that.

           I also realize that kids are just kids, anywhere in the world. I looked at one girl who had such a sparkle in her eye when she saw me, so much excitement.  You see that with any 6 year old in the world. We (my dad and I) walked down the street and saw some kids making up a game with a piece of string they found.  It’s so crazy to me how these little kids are playing with string while other young kids around the world are playing with their Iphones.

The next day we went back to Soweto to meet with some of the women the program is helping and working with. 

         Please check out Rebecca well’s website www.rebeccaswell.org and if you have any way to donate please do. I can tell you that I witnessed with my own eye the good this foundation is doing for these people.   They create a world of difference for these women to find shelter, jobs and for these children to return home with a full tummy.  If you can’t donate with money but want to do something, donation of clothes or anything you can think of (old computers, books, canned foods etc) are all very helpful to the cause and will go to use. 

I hope it doesn’t sound like I am an advertisement.  That is not what I’m trying to do at all.  I have been so overwhelmed with what I saw today and yesterday that I wanted to share it with you with my own words.