Nkoaranga Valentine's Party Field Trip

The children and staff of Nkoaranga Orphanage and The Small Things would like to say a MASSIVE thank you to all those who made the Nkoaranga children their Valentine last week through the "Spread the Love Auction". Thanks to your generosity, we were able to send them all on an exciting field trip to a big play park on Tuesday! Every field trip is a big success, but this one in particular looked brilliant! So much so, that I found it extremely difficult to choose just a small batch of photos from the tons of amazing snaps that were taken from the day!

The night before the trip, Emma, one of our on-site interns, and two volunteers prepared 40+ peanut butter sandwiches in the office and cling-filmed them ready for the kids the next day. With an early start of 8.30am on Tuesday, our volunteers, The Small Things' staff and the Mamas all lent a hand and helped to get the children ready. 

Early morning excitement before the field trip!

Emma explains:
"We got all the kids in their best clothes and shoes and they all looked adorable! They were all chanting 'Sa-fa-ri, sa-fa-ri' (trip trip trip!) and getting really excited. After they'd got dressed, eaten and had their faces cleaned, we walked down to the cars. With 9 kids and 4+ adults in each car it was a squeeze! The kids loved just driving down the Nkoaranga road and all screamed every time we went over a bump. We sang nursery rhymes like Old MacDonald and our ABCs as well as some Swahili songs. Some of the kids were pointing at animals, people and transport outside the window and shouting the names in swahili (Pike Pike! Bicycle!)." 

Best friends Miriam and Maureen, during the chaotic period of getting all the children ready to go go go!

Everyone arrived at World Garden in Mishono where they have a 'Fun For All' kids' play park. There were slides, swings, tunnels, a bouncy castle slide, a trampoline, merry-go-rounds and various play ground equipment. All the kids loved it, especially the older ones like Baraka who were brave enough for the big slide.

Baraka LOVED the big slide! He did eventually start sliding down it, rather than running! But he showed no fear and had a great time experimenting and thoroughly enjoyed himself.

It's a nice playground, in that it's all enclosed and safe enough to let the children do their own thing without constant supervision, so each child could go off and play where they wanted. Even the grown-ups had fun on the playground equipment!

Helga, one of our volunteers, also enjoyed the playground!

At about 12:00pm, it was time for the peanut butter sandwiches! (Always a big hit with the kids). They all stayed another hour or so to play afterwards.

Civilised chats over a yummy lunch.

Shalom about to tuck into her sandwiches.

The whole day went really well. There were no big issues, no injuries or illnesses and the kids were very well behaved. Even the rain held off until we got to Nkoaranga. In one car on the way back, five out of nine children fell asleep and that night they all went to bed early at around 18:30 as they were so knackered from the day!

The great photos taken of the day can do the rest of the talking!

Franky getting a turn on the dinosaur.

Happy Miriam.

A smiley Vicky Mouse!

Miriam, Fanueli, Shujaa and Franky all manage to squeeze onto the dinosaur!

Shujaa chilling out on the trampoline.

A funny bouncy-castle moment where Peace just couldn't roll down properly!

 

Fanueli is loving the ride, Fillipo isn't so sure!

Deliberating. Who will go first?

Well done Brighton!

Well, he did try!

Again, a big thank you from all of us and we hope you can all feel the love from Tanzania! Here are some of the cards from the Pilot House children from this Valentine's Day. It's been a great celebration all round!