Sunday 17 April 2016
A normal day for most of Cape Town, but for the residence of Manenberg it was a welcomed break from the shooting and gang violence which had filled its streets in the days before. The decision to go in was a tough one. Electronic articles and video footage of the ongoing violence in the area filled my newsfeeds and residence spoke of the difficulty they faced whilst the shooting took place. In one video, a resident explained how they welcomed police presence in the area as it made the community feel a little more secure and residents could finally leave their homes to buy bread and other basic necessities. And whilst our hearts bled for these families, we knew that we couldn’t just throw caution to the wind and go in guns blazing (excuse the pun) as we too had families to provide and care for. What made this decision all the more challenging was the fact that one of our distribution points was merely a road away from where most of the shooting had taken place to date.
Istikhaarah
Given the difficulty of the situation, we decided to take a step back and instead of make a decision based on our own desires, we sought an answer from The One Who knows and sees everything, The One Who knew what was best for us all: Allah. Through mashurah (consultation) and istikhaarah (seeking goodness from our Lord), we finally came to the decision that Sunday 17 April would indeed be a Mission Manenberg Day. Thus preparation for the weekend distribution continued, but with an added conviction that this was indeed the right thing to do.
D-Day
To be honest, I’m not quite sure what I was expecting. I mean, I knew that Allah had, through various individuals and mediums shown us that distribution on that day was the best thing to do, but I wasn’t quite sure how things were going to go down. I also knew that the shooting had stopped, but with gang wars you just never know.
Distribution was different this time around, and whilst it was a bit (much) chaotic, distribution went smoother than I’d expected. Children were the first to receive their food, and once they were sorted, the adults received their share too.
I watched on as some of the men dropped off the bread at one of the ladies houses, whilst the others, with the help of community members, assisted the community in forming orderly lines so as to facilitate and speed up the process.
People often comment on the negative aspects of Manenberg, but my experience lends a different perspective. Residents were welcoming and eager to assist us in creating order. They went the extra mile to ensure that all the kiddos got something to eat, and that the volunteers’ task was made as easy as possible. I, as a lonesome female, was treated with such dignity and respect to such a degree that one resident scolded another for not being ‘courteous enough’ with me. When I informed my husband of this later on, he said that the people in Manenberg are very respectful, they just don’t have anyone to ‘practice’ it on.
Life in Manenberg must be tough, I surmised as I stood watching the crowds gather in anticipation. Imagine having to debase your ego to such an extent that you stand in a line to collect food, a ‘basic necessity’ we so often take for granted. My heart swelled with pride and admiration for a people whose struggles I couldn’t even begin to fathom, a people whom most of our city know little to nothing of. Too often we dismiss people on the assumption that they aren’t doing enough to change their circumstances, not realising that perhaps this is the best they can do in their current situation.
My reverie was suddenly shattered when I spotted a police military-like vehicle in the next road followed by a few others – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 of them. I immediately went on high alert. Afterall, I had my little girl in my arms. Five police vehicle of any kind, going in the same direction just minutes after each other surely spelt trouble. I saw some members expressions slowly fill with concern as word of police presence buzzed in the air. I expected some kind of screaming, gunshots etc. but none of that ensued. When my husband questioned a friend as to the police presence he merely stated that it was a drug raid and assured us that we were safe to continue as is. Hearing that put my heart at ease, but as I held my daughter tightly to my chest, it was a deep sense of love that had overtaken my heart.
You see, when word of the police presence first emerged, I saw the males surrounding the distribution cars go on high alert constantly looking back and forth from the direction of the police to the distribution cars. I saw their body postures change from ones of normal relax guys, to that of ‘protection mode’. And once they were assured that everything was safe and that it was ‘just a drug raid’ I saw their body language return to its ‘normal relax guy’ selves and my heart wept.
The Aftermath
Two days later, we received word that the shooting in Manenberg had flared up once more and that it was more intense than before. It was then that we realised that we’d actually gone into Manenberg during a ceasefire, and Allah through His mercy had protected us from harm. In that moment, we could truly feel the love and mercy our Lord rains down upon us every day.
In addition to this reminder, I was suddenly struck by the following verse:
وَ مَنْ يَتَّقِ اللهَ يَـجْعَلْ لَهُ مـَخْرَجًا وَ يَرْزُقُهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَـحْتَسِبُ
“And whomsoever has consciousness/taqwa of Allah, Allah will make a way out for him and sustain him from avenues (in ways) he could never have thought of/imagined.”
And I wondered, if there was perhaps an unassuming muttaqi (God-conscious individual) in the crowds that day whose reliance and taqwa in his/ her Lord was so great that Allah created the ceasefire, placed conviction in our hearts and granted us to be able to feed more people than any of the other months before, and that too whilst ensuring our safety and that of the community at large.
Yaa Allah! Grant us the reality of taqwa Yaa Allah! Yaa Allah, make us of those who only see the good in others and aid them in improving upon it. Yaa Allah, Yaa Rahman, Yaa Raheem, uplift this community Yaa Allah. Guide and protect us, and make us a means through which others are guided and benefited. Amin Yaa Rabb Al-‘Aalameen.