Happy Valentines Day

It has been a busy few days.  We have two new babies at the Baby Home - Happy is 2 months old and Emmanuel is 9 months old - they were both abandoned and Amy chose names and birthdates for them.  They are beautiful and seem very healthy.  There is no information about their history. Babies are abandoned here all the time as people are very poor and can't feed them - or parents are very sick.  There are many reasons.  I spent time with Mama Anna who spends afternoons with the children with special needs.  We took Elizabeth for a walk in the stroller in the garden as she rarely gets out.  She saw the kids through the garden fence and they sang to her.  We spent time with the other kids in the Sensory Room doing stretches and massage.  It is sad here for kids with special needs, there is no physio, or OT, or speech therapy - no funding for equipment- no accessibility in Tanzania.  The future looks bleak for them.  They can stay here until age 5 and then need to go another orphanage - none are as good as here apparently so it is very sad.

My new roomate Catherine arrived from the UK - she is lovely and down to earth.  We hit it off right away.

I took her into town by myself on the Dala Dala to show her the post office, the bank, to get her phone organized and to buy some food.  Hard to believe that I now am showing people around a town in Africa.  A few of us went to dinner last night to celebrate her arrival.  She is staying for 3 months.

There is a birthday party at the Baby House for all the kids who celebrate birthdays in Jan. and Feb.  It's fun - we have balloons and cake.  The kids have so much fun.

Today - Sunday - we took some toddlers for a walk to the market and then I went to the Sava Sava market with Jade who is a long term volunteer.  A good few days.  Looking forward to the safari this Friday - we get picked up early in the morning and are gone until Sunday night.  Hope everyone is well.

Thanks for reading...........

Another day..........

Yesterday and today I started work at 6:30 am when the big and little toddlers wake up.  They "play" and listen to music until 7:30 and then have breakfast.  It is mayhem with highchairs in a row and food everywhere.  Then they are changed and bathed and we go out to the garden to play.  I spent some time in the preschool and showed Rosemary the mama who teaches some of my songboards and matching games I made.  She was thrilled to have new ideas.  There was a staff meeting so the volunteers spent time watching the kids - most of them were sleeping except for the little tiny babies - we were feeding, burping - babies crying - think Jon and Kate plus 11.......

Forever Angels has a teenage program training girls and two boys so they will be able to find a job.  They are from another orphanage called Bethany.  They are so sweet - last night they came over and made dinner for the volunteers.  They were dancing and had so much fun.  I gave the boys CANADA t-shirts and hats.  They were so happy.

Today, I went into town by myself in a taxi to the Talapia Hotel and had a pedicure - it felt so great - you have no idea.  At the baby home, everyone must go barefoot, inside and out so you can imagine the feet.

That is all for now.  Tomorrow my new roomate from the UK arrives - hope she is nice..........

I am at the Baby Home for one week today

I can't believe I am here a week already.  I am getting the hang of the schedule - with 50 children, it is a tight and consistent routine.  Amy is the most organized and passionate person I have ever met. 

I went into town yesterday with Shelley and we met Mehboob who owns Musimuns Tours - he had contacted me in Canada as he knows people that I know from Tanzania.  He was told to "take very good care of me" - that felt good.    We are going on safari Feb. 19-21st in the Serengeti -hopefully more people will join us and it will be cheaper.  However, one could not go away for the weekend for what the safari costs.  It is tenting but very safe - only a few people get killed every month (just kidding).  That would not be good for tourism.

It was my day off but I went to the Teeny Tiny baby house to feed Amina, Anna and Charles and to cuddle Ashley and to do tummy time with him.  He was premature and has some special needs - he is constantly arching backwards so needs lots of tummy time.  I just love those babies - but I promise Jaye, I will not sneak one home.  I took a couple of babies out to the garden for blanket time with another Mama - I showed her some pictures of my family.  She was so pleased to hear a bit about my life.

Little Elizabeth has Hydrocephalus (water on the brain) and has had 3 shunt operations.  It is unlikely that she can endure another one.  She has had fevers for several days so they tested her for malaria.  Poor little thing, her head is so big, she can't even  hold it up.

People here are so poor, children play with sticks in the dirt - many people live in simple shacks.  I brought toys and balls for them but will wait as once they realize that "the white person" is giving things, they are all over you.  This is another world and not at all fair but it is reality for Africa - unlikely to change soon.

More later - thanks for reading.  I promise more pictures of beautiful children............soon!

My first weekend here.........

It has been a very interesting few days.  I went to the Masi Market on Friday and it started to pour rain so we ended up in the Masi grandmothers (Bibi) little hut with her and her two grandchildren.  She makes the most beautiful jewellry.  I was wonderful - with a little help in the translation we found out she is in Mwanza for the last year and will be going back to her village in Arusha soon.  What a lovely woman - taking care of her grandkids and working hard.

It has rained a bit on and off.  Tonight two of us took a taxi back from town after having dinner and the taxi driver got a bit lost but eventually we got home.  Everyone is very nice.  Of course you have to be careful and be sensible but I think most people are very kind. 

I spent more time in the Teeny Baby House - my favourite place - feeding bottles, burping babies, giving them "tummy time".  Jana, if you are reading, Freida wants to know when you are coming back........

All is well - another busy week ahead and more adventure I am sure.  Shelley (from Chicago) and I are going to try to organize a safari for the last weekend of Feb.

I will keep in touch.....

This is me in front of the baby home and a "Mama" drumming for the kids.....

Already here in Africa for a week

I arrived last Saturday night and can't believe this week went by so quickly.  At times, I have really missed my family, Lonny, Maggie and Petrie - my bed, my kitchen and all the things one takes for granted - like hot water, electricity - which all go off at some point daily.  Life here is very simple.  You go to the local market for vegatables and some fruit and even to get a skirt made.  Most people don't speak English - only Swahli but you quickly learn a few words.  Karibu is welcome, Assante is thank you, Polya is sorry (when people and kids are begging for money) and Jambo or Mambo for hello....they really appreciate it when you try to speak a little. 

We are very safe here and have guards and dogs day and night both at the volunteer house and baby home.  So don't worry about me.................

There is a volunteer from Spain, one from Germany, one from the UK, one from New York state, one from Chicago and another coming next week.  I have been lucky to have my own room and bathroom for now but have to Ishare starting this coming Thursday.  The house is very busy, the fridge very tiny, it was dirty but I cleaned it.  There are a few cockroaches - ooh - but you get used to it they tell me.

Last night the volunteers went to Talapia Hotel for dinner with Amy and Meghan.  It is a beautiful hotel on Lake Victoria.  That is where they go on their days off to relax.  I am off today but am going into town with another volunteer (Amy from the States) and her mother and then working with the teeny tiny babies.  I also want to work with several children with CP and other special needs in the Snozellen Room (Sensory room) - just like the one at our office.  Someone in the UK donated all the items for the Sensory Room - there is not another one in the whole of Tanzania.

I want to work as much as possible and get the most out of this experience.  I also want to get to know all the Mama's better (staff).  I am a Mama too except no one can say Dorothy so I am finally, Mama Darcy.

Talk to you soon.......

P.S.  Jana, if you are reading, they remember you - thank you for the pictures and everyone has this big smile when your name is mentioned...............

Working at the Baby Home

This is my second day of working at the Baby Home - yesterday from 2:00 - 7:30 pm doing training.  In the morning we went into down on a small bus called "Dala Dalas" - crowded with people.  We went to the hectic market, grocery store, saw where the bank was and had lunch.  When you think town, think basic...
The kids are really wonderful - the older ones really attention seek.  They see many different volunteers come through so they know the new ones - they try to get away with everything.  There are tiny babies, older babies, little toddlers and big toddlers and a preschool.  We get to experience everything while we are here and can work as much as we want.

Today, Amy and Meghan asked two of us to go into Mwanza with them to the hospital to pick up two new little babies - we arrived and Social Welfare did not have the paperwork ready so we could not take them.  Amy will get them later today.  One is 2 months old and the other is 6 months.  Not much is known about either baby.  I did get to hold and cuddle the little one who looks more like a new born.

Back to the Baby Home to do lunch, play in the pre-school and feed Charles his bottle.

This afternoon, a rest (I started work at 6:15 am) and then going to dinner with another long term volunteer and her mother who are from the States.

Bye for now..................

In Tanzania

I have not had internet for some days so I will catch up.  I left Toronto on Friday, Jan 29th.  My wonderful friend Jana drove me to the airport and helped me sort through some luggage issues.  Thanks to her and Air Canada's Fabien, I only had to pay ?????for my overweight bags.  Not that much really.  My friend Susan came and joined us for a glass of wine and then I was off.  I had really mixed feelings for sure.  Finally on the plane to Zurich and then to Dar Es Salaam.  I was met by relatives of a friend of mine in Richmond Hill.  They were so wonderful to me for the weekend.  They sorted out my phone SIM card and got an internet stick for the computer as well as took me to exchange US for Tanzanian Shillings.  They took me to dinner, I had lunch with Zanat at the UN.  She showed me around and told me about her projects all over Tanzania, mostly in remote villages.

This morning I was off again to Mwanza.  I got to the airport and again had some anxiety over the luggage.  But, I showed the kind man my letter to Forever Angels and he did not charge me anything...........I was very grateful.  Most of the items are for the kids.

Amy picked me up from the airport.  All this time, reading her web site and e-mailing her...it was so great to meet her.  She dropped my things off at the Volunteer House where I met my "roomates" - all young 20 year olds.  Another woman comes Thursday and she is a bit older - but they are very nice and made me lunch.

I had a tour of the baby home and got to cuddle some of the babies that I have been reading about.  It was surreal.  I get to kind of orient myself today and tomorrow and then I begin.  They will show me the town tomorrow - I will get some food, water etc.  So at the moment, I have unpacked and am sitting on my single bed under a mosquito net - doing my blog.  Thanks for reading.....