Mpendulo Dlodlo

Mpendulo - November 2007

The Dlodlo Family - July 2007

We received the sad news yesterday that good friends of ours in Zimbabwe, the Dlodlo's, just lost their son. Mpendulo Dlodlo was born on July 31, 2007 and passed away a few days after his first birthday. The Dlodlo family were our neighbours at EBI. The mother, Sifiso, worked in our house each week helping with laundry and cleaning. The two girls, Silethemba and Thabisile were constant visitors to our house, coming over to play games, learn English or just hang out. The Dlodlo's were thrilled when they learned Sifiso was pregnant with a boy and the girls couldn't wait to have a little brother. They had always wanted a boy and suffered a miscarriage a few years ago.

Although Mpendulo arrived only a few weeks after we moved back to Canada, we were able to meet him on our visit in November. The last email I received from Sifiso was in March when she told me her family would be leaving Mtshabezi to move to Beitbridge so her husband could pastor a church. She told me Mpendulo was "fit and strong". We lost touch when she moved as there was no one to send emails for her, so I was shocked to hear from another friend, of Mpendulo's death a few days ago. Apparently Sifiso is critically ill as well and has been in and out of the hospital.

Please pray for the Dlodlo family. Like most of our friends in Zimbabwe, this family has experienced more tragedy then most of us will ever know (see our Africa blog entry for April 10, 2007). No doubt they are devestasted by the loss of their son and little brother.