Life with the Giddens'

Just days after losing nearly everything at the hands of some rogues, including my faith in humanity, Heidi and I were hosted by Josh and Virginia Giddens, in their suburban Harare home, for five days. We were put in touch with the family by a friend of Heidi's, whose other friend met Josh and his parents in Tanzania. After sending the couple one text message we were invited into their home without hesitation. We caught a cab and were, forthwith, inside the walls of their Mount Pleasant compound.

To some the term "compound" may evoke visions of religious fanatic David Koresh's burning village in Waco...but, here, I use the term much more generically. The Giddens' have, what I call, a compound for two reasons: the property is surrounded by an 8 foot wall and consists of multiple structures.

I was immediately struck by the enormity of the place, complete with numerous gardens, a pool, multi-stall garage, guest house and a single-story family home with an impressive footprint.

We were greeted in the driveway by the matriarch of the family, a charismatic Westerner with short brown hair and a diminutive frame. She explained that Josh was at basketball practice and invited us in.

The couple teaches International Baccalaureate curriculum at the America International School of Harare, which caters to Westerners, expats and the children of embassy workers from around the globe. This is their third year at the school and they expect to be there for one more before heading off to another school, with new cultural surroundings and a different set of challenges. (They are considering a locale in Eastern Europe and currently have a handful of potential schools in mind.)

One night they explained their motivations for teaching abroad. First and foremost, it seemed to me, was the benefit of their children, Miriam (11) and Peter (3). The quality of education at an International School, coupled with the cultural diversity thereof, cannot be equaled in the United States for an insignificant sum of money (whereas the education is free in Zimbabwe, as they teach at the school.) Moreover, this educational experience is going to put the kids in a more enviable position, when it comes time for college admissions, than their American counterparts.

Beyond the educational benefits, the quality of life (in some respects) is much better than it would be for a couple 0f young teachers back home. First off, the school pays for their housing. Secondly, despite a rather modest income (by American standards) they are able to employ three local people, who also live on the grounds. Elizabeth and Patience work as general housekeepers, tidying the home, washing dishes and taking care of laundry, while a third employee spends his days tending to the garden and manicuring the grounds. (Patience is the mother of Elizabeth, who has two children of her own, a small girl who is strapped to mommy's back all day long and a 7-year-old boy, who is Peter's best bud.)

While I have heard some whites refer to the local workforce as little more than cheap labor the Giddens see them as an extension of their family. Taku, Peter's friend, often joins the family for dinner. Furthermore, when they first arrived in country, Zimbabwe was going through some extreme economic turmoil, and the people in Patience and Elizabeth's home village were starving. The Giddens, with the help of their church, delivered food packets and even hired some farmers to come in and teach the locals how to create sustainable agricultural projects. Now they only have to bring seeds to the village annually.

As if taking care of their own family and employing three Zimbabweans isn't enough, the couple has also taken in a young Kenyan woman, completing her final year of studies at the International School. Joy is 19 years-old and still returns to Kenya to celebrate holidays with her family (hence I presume they host her so that she can receive a better education than if she were just at a local school back home). She is wise beyond her years, incredibly bright and quite well-rounded, sharing a sibling camaraderie with both of the children. She hopes to study in the United States upon completion of her studies in Harare.

Originally, we planned on leaving the Giddens' the day that Heidi's sister, Amy, was to arrive in Harare (to spend her winter break with her kid sister). But the couple extended themselves even further, inviting us to stay a bit longer, offering another room for Amy. We accepted and Josh even hauled us to the airport to pick Amy up...twice! (Upon arriving, the first time, we learned that a connecting flight left without the US passengers and Amy would be spending the night in Ethiopia. Had we taken a taxi we would've spent about $50, there and back, all for not.)

While staying with them we shared family dinners, played board games and just generally felt welcome. Needless to say, we really enjoyed our stay, as well as their hospitality and graciousness. It was just what the doctor ordered, reinvigorating my spirits, and faith in people.