Daily Life

Up early with roosters crowing, birds chirping, dogs barking and the call to the Mosque at 4am.  I try to walk early with whoever else is walking - usually Jade, a long term volunteer from Australia.  You see so much walking - other villages, people cooking breakfast, washing dishes outside, washing clothes, cooking on an open fire, kids walking to school and other kids playing in the dirt.

This morning we walked along the shore of Lake Victoria and came to a spot that we could not cross because of about 30 feet or more of water.  Fishermen were laughing at us and for 500 shillings -50 cents, brought their rowboat over and gave us a lift to the other side.  It was so funny.

We work different shifts - 6:30 am to 11:30 am or 3 pm to 7 pm but I usually work longer as I want to get more out of this experience.  I am also going to do workshops for staff and the Bethany teenage girls on child development starting next week.  I am also helping them come up with more ideas in terms of sensory activities etc.  We do activities with small groups of children, take them for walks to the market, take the teeny babies out to the garden on a blanket.

We get local produce at the market, vegetables and fruit - amazing mangoes.  In the market there are Duka shops to buy water, eggs, bread etc.  There is a seamstress, Sophie who made a couple of shirts and bags for me.  They know me now and always have a greeting and a smile.  Yesterday, I took pencils, balls and hair clips for the kids.  They were so excited.

I am attaching two pictures - one with the kids playing with Insta-Snow I brought - they just could not understand the concept of snow but it was fun - also a picture of a great Mama - Rosalie and me.  She wants me to bring her back to Canada with me.  I wish I could!!