Solomon's story (so far)

Each month we will tell you the story of more of our children along with updates on those you will already have met in these pages

Oprah Winfrey recently explained why she’s opening a school in South Africa instead of using US$40 million of her own money on America’s needy youth. “I became so frustrated with visiting inner-city schools [in the US],” she told Newsweek. “If you ask the kids what they want or need, they will say an iPod or some sneakers. In South Africa, they don’t ask for money or toys. They ask for uniforms so they can go to school.”

…..and so here begins the story of Solomon, a little boy of seven. Solomon has a uniform and Solomon goes to school. Solomon’s mum is Sarah a maid working for two prosperous families near Johannesburg. Sarah travels one and a half hours each way every day by the notoriously dangerous ‘black taxis’ of the poor of South Africa. She works 12 hours a day six days each week for R1000 a month – around £80 GBP. From this she has deductions for the state compulsory pension scheme which she does not want to pay because she does not believe she will live long enough to draw the pension. Sarah has two children by her husband whom she last saw over two years ago before he disappeared. Her youngest child was born months after her father deserted her. Sarah, Minnie and Solomon live in a one room breeze block, concrete floored small house with a tin roof which costs more than half their entire income. Without help her family would not have electricity or a water supply. They share toilets and showers in a communal block. The water does not always run but Sarah knows she is better off than many in the townships.

Solomon was born with weak eyes. Sarah was told by the optician what his eyesight condition actually is but she did not understand so she says he has ‘weak eyes’. His eyes must be very weak because his glasses have very thick lenses in their wire frames. Sarah worried that he was blind or was going blind when he was younger but then people in the UK helped her and a lady called Helena, an Afrikaans lady who lives in the UK, came on a visit and took charge. First Solomon saw a doctor and then an optometrist and Solomon got the spectacles he needed. Helena, the doctor, the optometrist and the glasses were gifts from staff at UK Vending.

Everyone knew Solomon was bright – he chattered endless about everything – but once Solomon could see there was no stopping him. No-one is certain who should take responsibility for teaching Solomon to read or teaching him his tables, but somehow before he even saw the inside of a classroom Solomon was reading books and counting. The difference a pair of glasses has made to the life and future of one little boy is immeasurable.

"Because of UK Vending and its staff, Solomon has a seat on the bus and a season ticket to ride"

Solomon supports England and Manchester United and is David Beckham’s greatest ever fan. Solomon anchors his specs with an elastic band he keeps for this purpose whenever he plays soccer. Soccer is what he loves most when he is not in class.

School in South Africa is a paradox. The law says you must send your children. But in many regions you have to pay for school and if you earn as little as Sarah you first pay for your roof, then you feed your kids and then make sure you can get to work to meet the needs of your children next month. There is no money for schools if you are a maid but even a maid can go to prison if she doesn’t send her children to school.