Everything here in Mozambique is going extremely well.
When we first arrived we had about four days with the fulltime educators before they left for a two-week holiday. While they were gone it was quite a trip. Watching over ten kids will definitely make you laugh and cry all at the same time. I picked up fast on the way things run around the house, but that didn’t mean that it has went smoothly all the time. If you can just imagine ten children ranging from 2-4 years old…need I say more?
A few days into the trip, I had the opportunity along with a few others to take Idrussi to the village where his grandmother lives for a visit. Social welfare asks that the Baby House would facilitate visits for each of the children who have family each year and report it back to them. This was a very unique experience as it was the first time I have been able to witness the way many live in Africa. We drove about two hours from Matola to end up at Camp 2000 where his grandmother lives. As we walked back to where she stays we were flooded by children who tagged along with us. We were able to bring clothing for the people there and it was amazing to see the joy it brought so many to have a single shirt handed to them or something for their child to wear. Idrussi was able to sit with his grandmother along with many other women in the village and we just had a great time hanging out with the kids there and loving on them a bit.
There is one girl who stands out that I saw while I was there. I don’t know her name, but I won’t soon forget her. She was maybe two or three in age and stood to the side away from the other children. As I walked up to her I noticed she was covered from head to toe in sores. She was absolutely beautiful wearing a tiny little capulana and she just stared down at the ground. As I knelt down to her level she just kept her stare downwards and almost flinched as though not used to someone paying individual attention to her. She let me put my hand on the small of her back, but never would glance up at me. My heart breaks for her and every child like her. I just want to scoop her up and show her love, show her touch, show her kindness and compassion.In a bit of a lighter note…a few days ago while the educators were still away there were just three of us at the house attempting to make things flow as best as possible. It was naptime and I was out taking laundry off of the line when I heard a bit of commotion in the boy’s room. As I walked over to the window I was thinking, “what am I about to see going on in that room? Do I even want to know what they are getting all excited about in there?” Well, as I go to the window I looked into Paulo’s bed and as I looked closer I noticed he wasn’t wearing a diaper any longer. I began to look at each of the boys and none of them were wearing their diapers. At this point I am half laughing half thinking why am I the one who had to make this discovery. I run into the house and down to their room and all of their diapers are either thrown on the floor or are still in their beds with them. I can’t really control my laughter – it is one of my weaknesses and I just lost it. We eventually got it all cleaned up and all is well and to be honest it is a great little memory of what life is like with five little boys in one room.
