You raise me up - A tribute

Friends,

I've gotta be the luckiest man in the world. Because in my 29 years of living, I have known angels. Flesh and blood Angels whose hearts beat one more breath of love into the world with each passing moment.

The first time I met Kathleen Hartmann was on the musty wards of the Good Shepherd hospital about 5 years ago. I always say that in that brief moment, I knew without a doubt, that I was in the presence of a great and wonderful soul.

It was as if a certain rare and beautiful fragrance tiptoed into the room and settled around her.

In all my dealings with Kathleen since, I have found that first instinct to be one hundred percent accurate.

There are some people whose hearts are so wide, whose lives are so filled with humility, and grace that to begin to write about them is almost impossible. This is how I feel about Kathleen Hartmann.

I was blessed to be roommates with Kathleen for part of this year in our beloved Siteki. She had called me to come and help empower the home based care team in their difficult but crucial work of tending to the sickest and poorest within Swaziland. But as I went out each day with the team, It was I who found myself learning.

Kathleen is a master of compassion. A virtuoso of love.

Whether it be on a hospital ward or in the corner of a delapidated hut into which the light has never shone, that love is always, always apparent.

The video below is one which we took the night before Kathleen left for her home in New York this year.

Over the last ten or so years that Kathleen has been doing this work, there is a group of boys in the community that have become like her own children.

There is Spa (Spamandla) who dreams of becoming a doctor, Mtho (Mthobisi) who is a double orphan and has moved in with Spa because he was unable to study in his hut as he could no longer afford candles. There is Thando whose heart is so big and is our tour guide whereever we go. Melegelily who loves to eat! And then there is Tobs (Thobani).

Thobani is Kathleens soulmate and our beloved brother.

Thobani was born with spina bifida, his legs paralysed. At a young age he would walk on his hands through his mud hut, dragging his feet, which meant they would become chronically infected. Eventually both his legs were amputated.

His life has been so very difficult. There are trials and tribulations which he has faced which are deeper and broader than I can write about in this small space.

But through it all Thobani's heart has remained pure. His love for the world unadulterated, uncorrupted.

At every juncture of his difficult life, Kathleen Hartmann has been Thobani's angel.

Theirs is an uncommon love story which inspires all of us who have been blessed to know them both.

The night before she left, the boys came to me and said "Yo, Maithri - can you teach us a song that we can all sing for Kathleen."

"An English song?" I said - my eyes lighting up ;).

"Oh yes!" they replied in unison.

So for two hours we crammed into the back of my little hired volkswagen and learnt this song.

Roomie, I know you've been asking me to send this song to you, so here it is....

God bless you Kathleen,

We love you.

You are the change I want to see in this world,

Maithri.