It Takes a Village
The International Children's Center of BoulderTuesday, August 22, 2006
Tanzania, Tue, 22 Aug 2006
Jambo! We had to decide no more balloons, or crayolas. They eat them. Ah well. The children are getting healthy again. Less colds, but the fungus in their heads, just doesn't seem to go away. They love the flash cards and all the rythmes. As I read to them on the ground, and really it is just dirt and dust, they all want to climb onto my lap, its so funny seeing ten kids trying all to get on! So much dirt, pee, and who knows. I come back to the compound and have to shower for awhile. We are so fortunate to have hot water.
The girls that work there have ask to use our cards and books for a few days, since we will not be there tomorrow. We are going on a trip to a waterfall and to talk with a traditional healer...witch doctor. That will be interesting. Many of the witch doctor here tell the men to have sex with a virgin to keep from having AIDS. I do hope this one is different. I am happy to see the girls wanting to speak English. Not that I want to be an "Ugly American", because Swahili is such a beautiful language. It is the way of the world. They need to be able to speak English to make it at all. The children at the orphanages here are turned out, and if they have no extended families that will take them, they go to the streets at eleven. Our new orphanage called the Kili Center will take the street children. This center is an old house, so dirty and filthy. Some of the volunteers here have cleaned some of it up, painted, and are working with the director. His heart is in the right place, but he has no money.
Getting anything sent here, money, educational items or toys requires such a big tax and then we don't even know if they get what is sent. I will find out more about this in the following week. Adoptions has been made hard as well. You have to live in the country for six months before they will allow to take a child, at any age.
On the personal note, it gets a little hard not being phobic about germs! My own prayer is daily to stay healthy so I can work!
I love you all, and thank you so much for reading and staying up with me. I will try to write tomorrow, if not you will not hear from me until Sunday night. I am going on Safari with a big group of my new brothers and sisters here at CCS, Cross Cutural Solutions...Lions, Leopards, Hippos, Elephants, Oh my! and of course, the Masi
Much love,
Pamela
The girls that work there have ask to use our cards and books for a few days, since we will not be there tomorrow. We are going on a trip to a waterfall and to talk with a traditional healer...witch doctor. That will be interesting. Many of the witch doctor here tell the men to have sex with a virgin to keep from having AIDS. I do hope this one is different. I am happy to see the girls wanting to speak English. Not that I want to be an "Ugly American", because Swahili is such a beautiful language. It is the way of the world. They need to be able to speak English to make it at all. The children at the orphanages here are turned out, and if they have no extended families that will take them, they go to the streets at eleven. Our new orphanage called the Kili Center will take the street children. This center is an old house, so dirty and filthy. Some of the volunteers here have cleaned some of it up, painted, and are working with the director. His heart is in the right place, but he has no money.
Getting anything sent here, money, educational items or toys requires such a big tax and then we don't even know if they get what is sent. I will find out more about this in the following week. Adoptions has been made hard as well. You have to live in the country for six months before they will allow to take a child, at any age.
On the personal note, it gets a little hard not being phobic about germs! My own prayer is daily to stay healthy so I can work!
I love you all, and thank you so much for reading and staying up with me. I will try to write tomorrow, if not you will not hear from me until Sunday night. I am going on Safari with a big group of my new brothers and sisters here at CCS, Cross Cutural Solutions...Lions, Leopards, Hippos, Elephants, Oh my! and of course, the Masi
Much love,
Pamela
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