home visits

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Friday 6/24 at 7am
Thursday we did home visits again, and that is definitely the best experience. I chose ten kids from my class to go on a walking field trip around Usa River and see where they live, where they come from, get their personal story, meet those they live with, and just get to know them (and this place) on a deeper level. It was amazing, especially because I got to select the students from my class so I really know their personalities now and have grown so connected to the kids that it's great to see where they come from and gain a greater understanding of each child. And it really puts everything into perspective. Every one of the 10 children live in a local mud hut.. share a bed with atleast one person- nobody has their own bed here. Each 'house' has one bed, and however many people live in the house, sleep in the same bed... and they are almost always single beds (3x6)... its heartbreaking but normal here - the kids dont crave their own beds or rooms or anything because they don't know a)what thats like to have that; and b) that people even have their own rooms in some places. The floors are generally all dirt, and below ground level by a few inches, so during rainy season (seems like everday here and its supposed to end in may) the houses get completely flooded and the floors turn into mud. There are openings everywhere, allowing bugs and noise and rain to pour in. They all seem happy though, they have the most amazing sense of community and all look out for each other, take care of each others kids, share meals and water and life.
One of my students, Zainabu, is a 5 year old girl and probably the sneakiest little thing I've ever met. She is constantly up to something at school, so I've always wondered where she came from.. anyways, she was on the home visiting list and as we approached her house, it was a mud home with about 6 rooms, each room rented by a different family. Zainabu's parents both died from HIV/AIDS so she lives with her aunt, and her aunt's 3 younger children so 5 of them live in a room about 8x8. The rent is 15,000 shillings per month, which is equal to 10 dollars, but another sister of the aunt works on a coffee plantation so she pays the rent for them. She can't get work because she has 3 babies to raise and Zainabu. They don't have running water or electricity access (majority of places don't) and the place is literally empty... meaning not even a bed. The sleep on wood with a thin sheet over it, nothing more. Of all the homes I visited, this is the one that affected me most. I could not believe that they are deprived of even a bed, even the houses that pay 3 dollars per month rent have beds (though all the houses have one bed for about 5 people to share.) Anyways, we finished the home visits and after school I immediately visited the local shop that sells beds and matresses and that good stuff, and I told him I would return tomorrow with money to buy a bed. So, tomorrow I will buy the bed and bring it to their home so that they can now have somewhere to sleep!! I'm very excited about it, and you guys at home that helped donate money - well here's something that it is going towards.

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