By Sherrie Norris
For McKenna Gragg, nearly half a year in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2024 was not enough.
After an “amazing opportunity” to volunteer in a children’s home, she is planning to return, this time for even longer.
“I’m thrilled to share that I will be returning to South Africa in February,” Gragg shared. “I had such an incredible experience there last year, and now the Lord has put it on my heart to go back and serve again for a longer stay.
A native and lifelong resident of Boone, Gragg shared that Door of Hope Children’s Mission is a Christian nonprofit organization that has been in operation for 25 years and has saved over 1900 infants from abandonment.
The facility houses an average of 50 children at any given time, from newborns to preschool age.
Gragg’s typical schedule, she said, centered around three 11-hour days at a stretch, working from 7 in the morning until 6 in the evening, before having two days off.
As someone who adores children and having worked in childcare back home, Gragg was in her element, surrounded by the children just waiting to be loved.
“My morning duties included prayer and worship time, waking the children up, making formula bottles, feeding them breakfast, and bathing and dressing them,” she said. “We would play, inside and outside, sing songs and read a Bible story, and strengthen their developmental skills.”
When the children napped, Gragg and the other ‘aunties’ who work in the home, took their lunch break, and then cleaned and prepared for the afternoon, evening, and the next day.
“When my shift was over, the night shift would come in and we would give a report on all the children for the day — and pray,” she said.
While there, Gragg shared, she saw many children come to the home by way of the hospital, police, and the baby drop box, explaining the latter as “essentially, a box built in a wall that allows people to safely and anonymously give up their baby.”
Door of Hope actually created the first baby drop box that allows mothers to give their baby up anonymously and safely, rather than abandoning them on the street,” she explained.
While this is very difficult to imagine — “and sad to see” — Gragg emphasized, “It is a much better situation than babies being abandoned in the streets.”
She also saw many adoptions take place while she was there, which was heartwarming for her and her coworkers.
“Most of the children went to a European country or stayed in South Africa,” she said.
Among the highlights of her Door of Hope experiences for Gragg, was being able to buy a ‘going home outfit’ for one of the adopted babies with whom she had established a very close bond.
Another favorite experience, and just maybe the best, she said, was being given the opportunity to name a baby who came in through the drop box with no identifying information.
“I love that I will always have a special connection with him and be a part of his story, even when he is grown,” Gragg shared with obvious emotion. “I got to pick out his first outfit and later take him to the church I attended to be dedicated.”
Outside of her work at the children’s home, Gragg enjoyed attending church, reading, working on puzzles with the woman she stayed with, and having game nights with friends.
“I was able to visit an elephant sanctuary where I fed, pet, and walked with African elephants and went on a game drive where I saw rhinos, hippos, zebras, and a cheetah,” she said.
Returning home to her family in Boone in November was a blessing, Gragg said, but she left a big part of her heart many miles away.
When she returns to South Africa, she plans to be there for nine months.
Gragg has a degree in Early Childhood Education from Caldwell Community College, has worked extensively in childcare through the years, and more recently graduated
from Western Carolina University’s distance Birth-Kindergarten Education program.
She’s looking forward to putting all of her training and experience back to good use in just a few weeks.
As we shared about her first journey in 2024, Gragg has asked that we, once again, keep her in our thoughts and prayers.
In the meantime, anyone who would like to help with her fundraising efforts may do so through her Venmo account (@mckenna-gragg) and PayPal (@mckennagragg).
She has also opened up a website where people can buy shirts and other products with a design she created, a portion of which will go toward her fundraising: (https://send-mckenna-to-south-africa.myspreadshop.com/)
For other giving options or to hear more about her trip, both past and future, connect with her on Facebook (McKenna Gragg).
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