Part 1 - Update on the school kids

A massive thank you for all your support which allows all these kids to attend school!

Bethan with Tumaini (left), Eman kubwa (back right), Eman dogo (middle) and David (front right)

This week Bethan (above) writes about how they visited all of the school kids to find out how they were doing and, especially, to give you a long-awaited update on how our new four - Pendo, Andrea, David and Abdulli - are settling in!  This involved visiting Usa River Academy in Usa to see most of the school kids there, and to visit Abdulli in Tengheru, where he is staying with his family.

Tumaini (left) and Dainess (right) skipping/jumping rope

"So, the Usa visit was brilliant! So nice to see all of the kids! Emelie, Bekka, Riz, Mama Pendo and I went there two Fridays ago. The Nkoaranga kids suddenly ran up from nowhere! They must have all been playing together in some other place on the field. Olivia, a volunteer here from America (my friend) sent me with some skipping ropes which the children immediately wanted.  There were some Nkoaranga kids that I didn't know as they had left earlier than when we were first there but nonetheless they were still so friendly."

"They all spoke very old English, particularly Tumaini! But it was impressive to hear Andrea, David and Pendo who have only been there since January also immediately speak English. They all seemed very happy and it was lovely seeing them all together with strong bonds just like when they were in Nkoaranga.  They all looked very smart in their uniforms.  Mama Pendo brought a suitcase of new woolly hats and jumpers that had been donated and which the kids all loved and crowded round to receive.  A couple of kids came running to the car as we were leaving to see if we had any left - luckily we did!  The school grounds are beautiful and there is so much green grass and outdoor space for them to run around in. As we left, they were all going back to their dormitories. I hope to visit again before I leave in 3 weeks."

Left to right: Andrea, Eriki, David, Pendo, Dainess and Stevie

Dainess, Tumaini and David in their hats

"Unfortunately the SOS children's village visit to see Gracie, Farajah, Aroni and a couple of other Nkoaranga kids was unsuccessful. We arrived to find that very recently they have brought in a new policy where we have to make an appointment to visit any of the children, which never used to be the case. The secretary was not prepared to make an exception, so although we had made the journey especially to see the children and came so close, we were not allowed any further which was such a shame."

"Later at day, we met with Abduli and his father in Tengheru where we then drove to where they stay. They have just one room for Abduli, his father, stepmother and their other young son.  The father spoke of the few problems they are having such as the tiredness he faces everyday having to get up at 5 to journey into Arusha to drop Abduli in at school and then back again later. The Small Things do pay for the transport costs but the time it takes out of the day to get to Arusha twice means that they lose out on some money from their salon. Additionally, Abdulli is wetting himself every time he sleeps, including any naps he has at home. This is a problem as it costs extra to boil water to wash him twice or three times a day. He is still having some problems with being violent and hitting at school."

"Despite these issues, they are determined to keep Abduli with them in their family at home, which is brilliant. They want to work through the problems which we of course will help with wherever possible, as long as Abduli stays with them. They seem like a very strong unit.  Abduli spoke of his best friend at school which was lovely to hear about and he wrote his name down for us in a notebook.  He is enjoying it.  But we will talk and look into other options like a closer school, and also speak to the school about how they are managing the students and just get their opinion on how Abduli is doing."

Mama Pendo with some of the many kids she has raised and who were delighted to see her!

We will continue to monitor how all the kids who are at school with your help (THANK YOU!) are doing and to help out wherever we can, and keep you updated!  We have lots more pictures of individual kids that we will share with you all on facebook - there just wasn't room for them all here!  Thank you, Bethan!

Then and now

It's amazing how fast time flies at the orphanage... sometimes, history repeats itself, and some things never change!

Frankie 2010

Frankie 2012

 Frankie's cheeks are still for the ages!

Me holding Pray and Simoni 2010

Me holding Pray and Simoni 2012

I still adore this funny little pair, who couldn't be more different from each other if they tried, despite being just a few months apart in age...

Baracka (left) with bubbles 2010

Baracka with bubbles 2012

Baracka still loves bubbles, but has moved up the totem pole, and now gets to blow them rather than just pop them!

Simoni grinning 2010

Simoni grinning 2012

 Simoni still has the world's best happy face...

Eman 2010

Eman 2012

Eman is still way cooler than I will ever be, and he still likes chilling on the trampoline...

Stevie (far right) as a baby with volunteers (thanks Amy for the photo!)

Stevie (far left) 2012 with volunteers

Stevie's mouth still exerts its own gravitational pull... 

Tumaini with Zawadi 2009

Tumaini with Peace 2012

And you still can't keep Tumaini away from the babies. Ok, so a few concrete updates on the kids - Peace is out of the hospital and back home with us, missing only a little of his belly chub. Big Ebenezer has taken his daredevil antics to the next level and smashed out his front teeth - poor boy! Little Ebenezer is doing much better and should be discharged from the hospital tomorrow (yay!), so our whole little family should be at the orphanage together as of tomorrow! Thank you so much to everyone who donated for his care - he was in about ten days altogether, so his bill will be high. We continue to gratefully accept contributions towards his hospital bills. 

And as a final bonus, a lookalike feature: 

Which of these pictures shows our gorgeous boy Shujaa, and which shows a Japanese Kabuki crab ? Both are surprisingly fuzzy on top. 

Growing up Nkoaranga

It's been a long few months. I have some ongoing medical issues that are being frustratingly evasive, and it's not clear whether I'm going to be able to start LSE this year or not. Which would mean that I'd be another year out, and the kids another year older, by the time I could conceivably return full time to Nkoaranga orphanage and to Tanzania. I get scared thinking how big my babies will be by the time I return - and it breaks my heart into tiny pieces not to be there to see it.

Stevie's big mouthed grin

Dainess's expectant, "Don't you want
to play with me?" face

Little grandfather Simoni's appraising look 

Dainess's melodramatic,
the-world-is-ending face

I try to remember, that getting older means getting stronger - Ebenezer is a strong, healthy baby, not a vulnerable preemie. Zawadi, who at a year couldn't even crawl, is walking and talking in full sentences. Simoni is running and jumping, when a year ago, because of his rickets, he could only scoot across the floor.

Simoni's cheeky grin

And then I see these. Pictures of our "big kids" now, back when they were little - and their personalities shine right through every pore. The same kids, with the same hearts, the same strengths, and the same weaknesses. And I know that even as they get bigger, they'll
still be my babies, always.

Tumaini (left) and Dainess (right),
giggling their faces off. 

I miss the babies they were. But I could not be prouder of the kids they are becoming.

Help us continue Stevie and Dainess's journey by contributing to get them into school this January.

Board Bios - Emma Shaw

This is the first of a series of introductions to our fabulous board members - meet the lovely and talented Emma Shaw! 

My name is Emma Shaw and I came to Tanzania through the organisation "Oyster Worldwide" as part of my gap year between school and university. After considering many other countries including Patagonia, Nepal and Zambia I chose Tanzania because of how much the placement had to offer: teaching English to both primary and secondary school children, voluntary work at the local hospital and, of course, care work at Nkoaranga Orphanage.

What I didn’t expect was that I’d become so involved at the orphanage - that I would be the one trekking across the hospital grounds at night, carrying a small, unwell child huddled in blankets. It made me realise that, when it’s a child in your care that needs treatment, the hospital is no longer an ‘interesting place to gain medical experience’. When you’re scared for a child and in need of help you don’t care about any of that. You just want them to make your child better.

It was moments like these that made me realise that volunteering at Nkoaranga Orphanage wasn’t going to be something I could just drop and move on from once home. I really didn’t expect this, and I have no idea why! I didn’t realise how important making sure that the children have a safe, happy future would become, which is why I’m so glad to be a part of The Small Things, and so determined to do all I can to give them as bright a future as every single one of them deserves.

Although my hardest moment physically at Nkoaranga orphanage was the morning after my first night shift when we were helping to wash all of the big kids – I remember feeling almost sick with tiredness (a first for me) - it gave me a whole new appreciation of the incredible work the mamas do every day. However, my hardest moments overall were definitely when I was scared for a child. I was scared when Gracie (normally so placid and sweet tempered) was crying so unstoppably, hysterically and harshly and we had no idea why, and I was constantly scared about losing Ebenezer. He was so sick, tiny and premature when he came in - then months later, after he had come so far, he got profoundly ill again and reignited all that fear. I found changing him very hard as there was no escaping how much weight he’d lost and how tiny he’d become. I was scared I’d break him. 

Ebenezer shortly after his hospital stay -
still back and forth twice a day for IV medication

On the other hand, another thing I found really hard was refusing the children water because there wasn’t any that had been purified and I’m so excited that, thanks to the success of Project MAJI, that will never have to happen again!!!

I had SO many amazing moments with the children – all of them hilarious, touching and unforgettable. For me, it was so rewarding to see Pendo settle in, and this sometimes cheeky, sometimes serious but always beautiful, kind and sweet girl emerge from her shell – and give everyone lots of kisses on the cheek! I always found putting the big kids to bed really special. They’d call my name and I’d go over and crouch down under their mosquito net to have a whispered talk with them, before kissing them goodnight, wishing them sweet dreams and telling them I loved them. It meant so much to be able to do that for them. 

Pendo cuddling with her buddies Farajah and David

And then I have tons of hilarious memories, such as the time one of the schoolchildren, Tumaini, and I were searching for socks in the pile of laundry in the sink and, being the adorable but clumsy girl she is, she switched on the tap, soaking everything! Her eyes went wide and her “Ohhh…pole! (sorry)” couldn’t have sounded more shocked (or amused)! Being there for Ester’s first steps; Frankie’s inevitable bawling at my lack of speed whilst feeding him; hanging out the washing and realising that the two little boys helping me were helpfully “rinsing” everything in a muddy puddle before passing it to me…the list is endless!

I think the thing which concerns me most at the moment is ensuring that not just the children ready to go to school this year, but that all those in the coming years will be able to go to school and have a good education, hopefully through our partnership with The Foundation for Tomorrow. While the children are at Nkoaranga orphanage I feel happy knowing that, between Mama Pendo, all the other Mamas, and volunteers looking after them, the children have people who care about and want the best for them. What worries me is when they leave and have to fend for themselves, and the life that awaits them. As we grow and develop as an organization, it is a challenge we will have to face. 

However, I think it’s impossible to say what the most important work to be done is in the long term, because everything that contributes to a healthy, happy childhood for the children matters: it’s important to have the filtration system fitted so that the children don’t have to be denied water, or risk sickness from drinking it straight from the tap; it’s important that mosquito nets are correctly used to avoid malaria; it's important that formula is available to keep babies healthy, and to aid recovery if they do fall ill; it's important that the hospital is also supported because all children need healthcare at some point; it's important that any psychological issues that a child has are addressed, and it's important that when they do go on to school, they are happy, healthy and fully ready to do so. Our job now is to try to balance those many important jobs to be done, and we hope you'll come along with us for the ride! 

Chickens, Geese, Birds of a feather, and Avian Flu

Bear with me while I try to tie this all together - I am currently in the throes of a gross cold/flu/something that has rendered me unconscious for at least 55 of the last 72 hours. This occurred shortly after I scoffed at my mother's concerns over Avian flu due to my extensive bird handling recently - and it has indeed been extensive. Thus, since a blood test ruled out Malaria, I am referring to this current bout of disgustingness as my own personal Avian flu. Pity me.

My birds of a feather are sadly flying away, Christian having left yesterday and my wonderful Guilia flying tomorrow. Peter comes back tomorrow from Sudan, which helps, but I'm going to miss them a lot.

You're going WHERE?!?

As for the chickens, I got a call this morning from Frankie, the Tanzanian teenager who has been helping us with the birds - apparently, the birds decided they like the container for the bonemeal better than they like the custom made nestboxes, and have been laying their eggs there instead! Stupid birds. At any rate, it will require some rethinking of the pen design. My theory is that the birds shy away from the nest boxes because they are within sight of the window, from which a plethora of adorable, tiny, loudly screaming faces are using looming. So maybe we just move the boxes and solve the problem. We shall see. We collected our first egg last week, and my buddy Stevie promptly took it upon himself to throw it down a hill in his excitement - I think we all need to work on our chicken husbandry skills. In case you couldn't guess from the video, kuku means chicken in Kiswahili.

Chicken's eye view

And geese - this is borrowed from a wonderful friend of mine, who discussed how much easier life would be if men were tagged - I quote, "you know, like the way bread loaves have that little plastic thingy that closes tha bag.  sometimes they are different colors.  and men should be tagged like bread loves or like geese" to let us know whether they are gay or married or just terrible human beings so that we don't waste our time. This was an entirely theoretical and humorous idea until the recent revelation that certain people in positions of power here... let me rephrase that, a shockingly large percentage of men I've met in any kind of position of power here - seem to have serious problems with lying and/or attempted or successful sexual coercion of the women, and especially girls, working under them. I am devastated and deeply disappointed with some of the information coming to light, and in the process of trying to figure out what, if anything, can be done. I would like to extend the goose idea to tag men who are immoral and irresponsible, so they can be kept out of positions of power. When I'm God-Empress of the Universe...

Ugh. We're still doing good work, but getting bogged down a lot with organizational problems, and I'm starting to feel discouraged and frustrated. For instance, we STILL haven't had our survey done, despite being told every day since last week that it would be happening. Meanwhile, the man who has offered to drill for us essentially for free is getting antsy about the timetable, as he has paid commitments in the new year. Even when people legitimately ARE good and want to do good, the endless little frustrations of Africa seem to get in the way. Nothing to be done but to keep on plugging, and keep working on my Hakuna Matata attitude... Deep breaths...

...and dancing. Deep breaths and babies and dancing. These are the keys.