As I was making hug and kiss rounds last night at bedtime, I got my first “I love you” whispered in my ear. And I realized, I am falling in love with these kids. They test you, drive you crazy, and make you want to sit them on their bed and leave them forever, but then you spend one on one time with them, and they snuggle into you and you see the little child in them that just needs a little TLC.
Josephat, 7 years old, is one of my favorites (don’t tell anyone). But you cannot help but love this kid. They all look alike the first few days, especially with shaved heads, and he is the first one whose name I learned as he looks distinctly different. The native staff believes he matriculated from somewhere other than Tanzania, it’s anyone’s guess where, as he has darker skin and sharper features. When he speaks, his voice comes out with this force, like he just got punched in the stomach, and he has one volume: LOUD. Tell him “SHH”, and he downgrades to a raspy whisper. He runs like a little hyena and when he sees you coming from across the property, he will yell out the morning events in one sentence, rattling off everything that everyone has done, and what are you going to do, what are you going to do, huh, huh, huh?
The other night, as we were piling into the common room for bedtime story, he nudged the volunteer that was sitting next to him, and pointed out the window.
“Yes, the moon is bright tonight!” she said.
‘WHERE THE COW?” he asked.
“He must be taking the night off.”
“WHY?!”
“Well, wouldn’t you get tired if you had to jump that high every night?”
Silence. He looked very pensive as he gave this some serious thought. Let me tell you, he redefines pensive when he scrunches up his little face.
“YES!”
Marietha, 8 years old, is quiet, smart, and sweet. Most of the time. At tutor time, she picked out some stories to read, one of them being “Are you my Mother?” As some of you know, it’s about a baby bird that goes looking for his mom, and asks a pig and a duck and a bulldozer among other things. As we were reading it, she turns to me and says, “I don’t have a mother”. Hmmm. I was at a loss for a moment, and to make up for it, I just gave her a big hug, and talked about how many Mamas she had here. But we both knew it wasn’t the same. They know they are loved, but it doesn’t take away the knowledge that something is different.
This coming week will be away from the orphanage, as I will be heading out tomorrow (Sunday, Oct 28) with Dr. Frank to do wellness checks and sick clinic all week in a Maasai boma (village). It will be somewhere outside Arusha on the way to Tarangire National Park. An adventure! Removed from civilization with no running water or electricity for 5 days. Wish us well! Hope everyone is well back home. I love getting emails!
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
6 days in Africa
Only 6 days in Africa, but so much has transpired it seems like a month!
On the 4 hour drive from Arusha, we passed through bush country and home of the Maasai tribe, had wild baboons crossing the road with their young clinging to their underside, and saw giraffes as we passed Lake Manyara. My driver taught me how to count to ten in Swahili, but now that I’m here it appears he taught me how to count in Mbulu instead. Once we turned off the main road, it was another 45 minutes down a long, BUMPY, and red dusty road to Rift Valley Children’s Village.
The natural beauty of this place is amazing. We are on the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater, and nestled between the Serengeti and Tarangire National Parks, famous with safaris. The days are hot and the nights are cool. And the sunsets and sunrises are to die for. Which I’ve certainly been seeing the sun rise!
Not that any day is typical here, but they all start by 6am, if not earlier, by some catastrophe or another. Kids are up at 6:15, get dressed (in hopefully their own clothes), breakfast at 6:30 (some can have this, others cannot), backpack check, and a short walk to school at 6:45. We (volunteers) eat breakfast at 7:30 and get a break until 9, when I teach English/Computer and Confidence class to local village teenagers with another volunteer for 2 hours. Confidence may be the hardest of all three, but hopefully an inevitable result of the first two. Take Standard 2 kids (once you find their hiding spots) to school at 11:30, pick up Standard 1 after you peel them off the playground, then lunch and nap time, After nap, it’s tutor and play time for the afternoon, chores (not a favorite), bath (that either), put on CLEAN clothes, egg and bread snack, movie, then dinner at 6:30. Have you ever tried to keep calm with 11 kids around the table, all with something important to say (particularly if it gets someone else in trouble)? Whew. Then it’s pajamas, brush teeth WITH toothpaste, story time, hugs and kisses, good night.
Alexi, 8 years, and I tutor together. We worked on math today in the “library”, a room with the books and extensive movie collection. However, Mole found us and wanted to practice math too. Mole is our little moral police, as he likes to ask if things are good or bad, and will go through a book asking about each object. Now, seriously are those characters in Dr. Seuss good or bad? He had me stumped on a few. Then Ishmael wanted a story, and Coleta couldn’t be left out of that fun! It is certainly never dull here.
Right now, the orphanage holds 41 very adorable and equally precocious children, from the age of 2 to 17 years.. Despite the size and number,this place is structured without the feeling of institution, There are 4 houses of children, each with 2 native Tanzanian “Mama”s who cook and clean. There are 10 of us volunteers right now, and we have a variety of duties. Some teach kindergarten and some teach English at the local school. Now that word is getting out that there is a nurse here, there are random villagers coming up to see me with various ailments. And with 41 of our own kids, there is plenty of business for me. Band-aids and Tums are my cure-all. And amazingly enough, they DO cure all!
I have a few stories to share, but will do that next time. THIS chic has a 9:30 bedtime!
On the 4 hour drive from Arusha, we passed through bush country and home of the Maasai tribe, had wild baboons crossing the road with their young clinging to their underside, and saw giraffes as we passed Lake Manyara. My driver taught me how to count to ten in Swahili, but now that I’m here it appears he taught me how to count in Mbulu instead. Once we turned off the main road, it was another 45 minutes down a long, BUMPY, and red dusty road to Rift Valley Children’s Village.
The natural beauty of this place is amazing. We are on the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater, and nestled between the Serengeti and Tarangire National Parks, famous with safaris. The days are hot and the nights are cool. And the sunsets and sunrises are to die for. Which I’ve certainly been seeing the sun rise!
Not that any day is typical here, but they all start by 6am, if not earlier, by some catastrophe or another. Kids are up at 6:15, get dressed (in hopefully their own clothes), breakfast at 6:30 (some can have this, others cannot), backpack check, and a short walk to school at 6:45. We (volunteers) eat breakfast at 7:30 and get a break until 9, when I teach English/Computer and Confidence class to local village teenagers with another volunteer for 2 hours. Confidence may be the hardest of all three, but hopefully an inevitable result of the first two. Take Standard 2 kids (once you find their hiding spots) to school at 11:30, pick up Standard 1 after you peel them off the playground, then lunch and nap time, After nap, it’s tutor and play time for the afternoon, chores (not a favorite), bath (that either), put on CLEAN clothes, egg and bread snack, movie, then dinner at 6:30. Have you ever tried to keep calm with 11 kids around the table, all with something important to say (particularly if it gets someone else in trouble)? Whew. Then it’s pajamas, brush teeth WITH toothpaste, story time, hugs and kisses, good night.
Alexi, 8 years, and I tutor together. We worked on math today in the “library”, a room with the books and extensive movie collection. However, Mole found us and wanted to practice math too. Mole is our little moral police, as he likes to ask if things are good or bad, and will go through a book asking about each object. Now, seriously are those characters in Dr. Seuss good or bad? He had me stumped on a few. Then Ishmael wanted a story, and Coleta couldn’t be left out of that fun! It is certainly never dull here.
Right now, the orphanage holds 41 very adorable and equally precocious children, from the age of 2 to 17 years.. Despite the size and number,this place is structured without the feeling of institution, There are 4 houses of children, each with 2 native Tanzanian “Mama”s who cook and clean. There are 10 of us volunteers right now, and we have a variety of duties. Some teach kindergarten and some teach English at the local school. Now that word is getting out that there is a nurse here, there are random villagers coming up to see me with various ailments. And with 41 of our own kids, there is plenty of business for me. Band-aids and Tums are my cure-all. And amazingly enough, they DO cure all!
I have a few stories to share, but will do that next time. THIS chic has a 9:30 bedtime!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Safely arrived
After years of dreaming, and 8 months of planning, it is finally happening! I am safely tucked away at my hotel for the night, and will be picked up tomorrow for my 3 hour trip to the village that will be my home for the next few months. Kilimanjaro airport was hopping with one luggage carousel, 4 custom booths, and more taxi drivers than passengers. And, as my luck would have it, I got singled out at the Declaration Area...Bringing donations is a good thing, but guess you have to pay for it!
Nevertheless, I am quite excited, nervous, and my head is in a bit of a fog, but I'll blame that on traveling for 24 hours. In other words, 4 liters of water, 10.5 (line was too long)trips to the bathroom, 1 paperback, 2 plane movies, 13 tissues, half my ipod, and 56.2 gazillion germs later, I am on terra firma in Arusha, Tanzania.
I would love to tell you of the exotic animals and incredible scenery thus far, but it has been dark since my arrival 2 hours ago, so I'll save that for the light of day. FOr the record, it is 10 hours ahead here of Pacific Coast time...
Good night and sweet dreams.
Nevertheless, I am quite excited, nervous, and my head is in a bit of a fog, but I'll blame that on traveling for 24 hours. In other words, 4 liters of water, 10.5 (line was too long)trips to the bathroom, 1 paperback, 2 plane movies, 13 tissues, half my ipod, and 56.2 gazillion germs later, I am on terra firma in Arusha, Tanzania.
I would love to tell you of the exotic animals and incredible scenery thus far, but it has been dark since my arrival 2 hours ago, so I'll save that for the light of day. FOr the record, it is 10 hours ahead here of Pacific Coast time...
Good night and sweet dreams.
Monday, October 15, 2007
FAQ's
What is it about change that brings us out of hiding? I've been approached by friends and strangers alike about my trip, and it's been entertaining to see the curious, incredulous, admiring, and downright opinionated sides of people. Here's a typical conversation:
Person: What's this I hear about you taking off for Africa?
Me: Well, yes, I am going to Africa. What would you like to know?
Person: Why are you going? What are you going to do?
Me: I'm a crazy girl who loves adventure and giving my parents gray hair. (Or less hair, sorry, Dad) More importantly, I'm going to volunteer with an American physician (Dr. Frank Artress. His website is www.fameus.net ) who is building a hospital there, and to help at the orphanage nearby (www.tanzanianchildrensfund.org).
Person: That's great! Won't that be sad, though? I think that would just break my heart. I'd want to bring them all back with me, won't you?
Me: I'm sure I'll be tempted, but parenthood is for the strong and brave of heart. I AM excited to be with them and help out for awhile. They are amazing little humans for what they have survived. We ARE accepting donations if you're interested in helping out...
Person: Oh yes, I'll bring you some things. What country are you going to, anyways?
Me: Tanzan-
Person: TANZANIA?! That's where the devil lives!!
Me: Huh? OH! No, that's TasMANia. I'll be in TanZANIA. Whew, had me there for a moment!
Person: Oh, that's right! Where is that anyways?
Me: East Coast of Africa, just south of the Equator...home of Mt. Kilimanjaro...Maybe you've heard of it?
Person: Yes, I believe so. That's going to be a LONG trip!
Me: Funny how traveling halfway around the world takes awhile. I've been practicing my Apparition skills (that's the ability to teletransport yourself from one place to another to you clueless non-Harry Potter fans), but I keep losing my luggage, so I figure my chances are just as good with traditional transportation.
Person: Hmm. When do you leave?
Me: I'm not disclosing the details, to keep the papparazzi at bay, I'm sure you understand, but just to throw them off we'll say my departure is Tuesday, October 16, and come back at New Years time...
Person: You're missing the holidays!
Me: I'll bring cool presents though. How are things going for you?
And so on...
Person: What's this I hear about you taking off for Africa?
Me: Well, yes, I am going to Africa. What would you like to know?
Person: Why are you going? What are you going to do?
Me: I'm a crazy girl who loves adventure and giving my parents gray hair. (Or less hair, sorry, Dad) More importantly, I'm going to volunteer with an American physician (Dr. Frank Artress. His website is www.fameus.net ) who is building a hospital there, and to help at the orphanage nearby (www.tanzanianchildrensfund.org).
Person: That's great! Won't that be sad, though? I think that would just break my heart. I'd want to bring them all back with me, won't you?
Me: I'm sure I'll be tempted, but parenthood is for the strong and brave of heart. I AM excited to be with them and help out for awhile. They are amazing little humans for what they have survived. We ARE accepting donations if you're interested in helping out...
Person: Oh yes, I'll bring you some things. What country are you going to, anyways?
Me: Tanzan-
Person: TANZANIA?! That's where the devil lives!!
Me: Huh? OH! No, that's TasMANia. I'll be in TanZANIA. Whew, had me there for a moment!
Person: Oh, that's right! Where is that anyways?
Me: East Coast of Africa, just south of the Equator...home of Mt. Kilimanjaro...Maybe you've heard of it?
Person: Yes, I believe so. That's going to be a LONG trip!
Me: Funny how traveling halfway around the world takes awhile. I've been practicing my Apparition skills (that's the ability to teletransport yourself from one place to another to you clueless non-Harry Potter fans), but I keep losing my luggage, so I figure my chances are just as good with traditional transportation.
Person: Hmm. When do you leave?
Me: I'm not disclosing the details, to keep the papparazzi at bay, I'm sure you understand, but just to throw them off we'll say my departure is Tuesday, October 16, and come back at New Years time...
Person: You're missing the holidays!
Me: I'll bring cool presents though. How are things going for you?
And so on...
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