MAY THE WORLD BE KIND TO YOU, LITTLE GIRL

By Cuma Pantshwa

• The Christmas decorations at OR Tambo International Airport are a fitting greeting for a young girl arriving from Mauritius, being repatriated to South Africa after spending five years with her mother in a Mauritian prison.
• The five-year-old is meeting her maternal grandmother – her new guardian – for the very first time in person.
• Social worker Dikeledi Louw gently hands the child to her grandmother. Their bond is instant and tangible, with the little girl clutching tightly onto her grandmother with no sign of letting her go.

A giant Christmas tree stands tall at the centre of the international arrivals hall at OR Tambo International Airport on the outskirts of Johannesburg, its twinkling lights exuding festive cheer.

But today, 13 December 2024, the screens displaying landed flights hint at a more sombre tale. Amid the joyful reunions of travellers and loved ones, a quiet and extraordinary journey is taking place.

We are here to witness the arrival of a little girl, just five years old, repatriated from the island of Mauritius by the Department of Social Development. This vulnerable child, cradled in the compassion of officials, is touching South African soil for the very first time – a home she has never known.

The young girl has spent five years in a Mauritian prison, where her mother has been incarcerated and is facing drug trafficking charges.

Waiting to welcome the child is a group of people who have worked tirelessly to ensure her safe return. Her grandmother, who will now become her primary caregiver, stands among the crowd. Accompanying her are social workers from the North West province and a few members of the national Department of Social Development team.

It is an emotional moment. The grandmother’s anxiety is palpable. Tears roll down her cheeks, slipping from beneath her sunglasses as she whispers: “I’m ready to welcome her. I’ve been ready for her.”

In this moment, a child’s life begins anew – a story of hope and the promise of family.

As the bustling airport continues its rhythm of arrivals, the moment of truth arrives as the little girl exits through the gates, carried by social worker Dikeledi Louw.

Louw, visibly emotional, tells me she is still processing the entire mission. Getting to this point has been a journey filled with challenges, determination, and, most of all, love.

Louw gently hands the child over to her grandmother, and they embrace. Tears flow and the air is heavy with love and relief. The grandmother and child’s instant bond is beautiful to witness, the little girl clutches tightly to her, not letting go, but with her small doll still clutched in her other hand.

She looks around, wide-eyed, trying to take it all in, just as the rest of us are.

This is her new life.

Department officials’ hand over the child’s suitcases and relay messages from her mother, reassuring the grandmother that her daughter is well and that the little girl has been lovingly cared for in Mauritius.

As the family prepares to leave, the officials offer words of comfort, sharing hugs and kisses with the child.

Before bidding the family farewell, they emphasise that this is just the beginning of their support.

The department will remain in regular contact with the grandmother to monitor the child’s progress, provide guidance, and ensure that the transition into her new life is as smooth and nurturing as possible.

And so, under the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree, a new chapter begins for this little girl, a chapter of healing, love, and the enduring hope that the world will be kind to her.