This has been an eventful week at the Baby Home. The Bethany teenagers have been sent home for a period of time due to some behaviour issues. The Bethany orphange is two hours away from here and Amy has agreed to take a group of them, mostly girls and two boys, to train them, teach them English and other skills so they will be employable. They are teenagers who live with no parents but on their own in small houses in the village, so like most teenagers, test their boundaries. However, they must adhere to the rules. Hopefully they will return with a more mature attitude and willingness to follow the rules and boundaries. They are so sweet though and everyone misses them already.
It has been a difficult week for Amy - a little boy Pascal was at the orphanage since he was a baby as his mother died in childbirth and his young father could not care for him. His father remarried and Pascal went home about a year ago to live with his family, which is always the goal for these children whenever possible. The other day, Pascal's father phoned Amy to ask her if Pascal could return to the Baby Home. His step-mother has been neglecting and abusing him very badly. He is malnourished, his hair has turned grey, his tummy distended - and he has difficulty walking. He had been left for up to 12 hours daily all alone at age 3 while parents were at work. His little face is so sad and he obviously has been beaten badly. For some reason, his father was unable to protect him. Social welfare has agreed that for the next period of time, he will be at the Baby Home, however, for the time being he is with Amy's sister Zoe and her children. In ordeer for him to return to the father, he must find another place to live without his wife. They are living in Tanzania for the next year. The story is on Amy's website. He is a resilient little boy and will hopefully bounce back. These stories are tragic and all too common here and all over the world for that matter.
The other night Catherine and I went to a local African restaurant with Amy and Zoe and their children and it was so much fun. Their kids are so cute and funny. Pascal came too and very much enjoyed his chicken and rice.
This week we are going to visit another orphanage with Amy so I look forward to that. I have so much I want to do this week - I want to hug and cuddle each and every one of these children and take many more pictures so I never forget them. I am trying to memorize all the visuals of life here - I wish I could take more pictures of the locals and how they live, how the women carry their babies on their backs, how they carry loads of things on their heads, and their beautiful African dresses but as I explained before, it is disrespectful and I don't want to be seen as this "white tourist" snapping away with my camera.
I am missing my family and my life in Canada and will be home soon but I will miss life here so much. I am determined to return in a couple of years. I strongly encourage any of you to think about doing something like this - it is very rewarding and feels amazing to step outside your comfort zone and your life to explore a different culture and country.
I am attaching a couple of pictures of "Big Babies" - getting ready for bed................
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