hello from africa

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hello

the children all have training today, - tomorrow is their sports day - i am not feeling too good - travellers tummy!! (this is awful with no running water!!) so i am not taking part and running around.... god only knows how they do it in this heat!

Sunday we met a man from the village were we are staying - we asked him about another oprhanage in the village we had head of. He took us down to see it.
I have never seen anything more disturbing in my whole life. The orphanage housed 96 children from 1 to 18 years old. it consists of 3 rooms in total. The kitchen consists of an outside fire and cauldren/ large pot. there is no bathroom - the children wash outside in buckets and go to the loo in the bushes. They have nothing to sleep on - literally on the wooden floor.
There are 3 people looking after 96 kids. Apparently it is illegal - Orphan Aid Africa have reported it to the authorities 4 months ago - they are wanting to take the children in to their orphanage to start the process of rehoming and supporting the kids extended families but as with everything there are processes to follow and we can't just go in there and take the kids. I asked why they keep taking kids if it is illegal and the response was that people just dump them there. As it is illegal they get no government support so it makes you wonder what is the motivation for the three people to have this many kids - i have my own suspicions!!!!!!!!!!!!
That evening myself, loiuse, mum, and two other volunteers bought the kids footballs balls, cards, pencils, work books, rice, oranges, a few books, some soap and buckets and took it down there - they were so so grateful. They sang us a song about '' the lord will provide''
It really makes you feel torn - i do not want to support an illegal orphanage however it is not the kids fault they are there and if we are able to make their lives slightly more bearable then we have done something - you can't just walk away. I am going to inquire about how much pieces of foam cost so the kids have something to sleep on, however for 96 kids it will be expensive. the other problem you contend with in your head is that when we are gone - will others support and help the kids - you don't want to get them used to luxuries if you can call them that) - what they don't know they can't miss... we will seee - it certainly makes you wrestle with your own morals.

Any way bye bye for now

Emma

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