In seven days I’ve adapted very quickly and well to the life and people in the “Heritage of Faith and Hope”.
Every day is like a small adventure full of (mostly) lovely experiences.
I still dont have a clear daily structure and honestly I don’t think I’ll get one. :D
Here a description of how of my days are like:
8.30-9.30: Wake uuup...
~9.30: Take breakfast, read a book/newspaper, relax....
 |
| Toast with a bit of butter + Chai |
10.00-11.40: Get ready for the day
*different options to choose
- check out how the weather is
- walk around and greet all the people and animals
- talk/play with the children who are on their break
- make plans with the other volunteer for an event in December at the childrens’ home
- take a bath
- wash clothes/tidy up my room
- relax
- prepare Songs for the kids
11.40: Swahili class.
I’m back in grade 3!!! :D
The pupils are so nice and sweet... They always tell me that I HAVE TO underline the Headlines (with a rule of course!) and that I CAN’T write exercises with a pen but with a pencil.
Those kids are so concentrated and disciplinised - except when it Comes to answering a question; then they snap with their fingers and go like “JAH! JAH! Mwalimu! Mwalimu!” (Teacher! Teacher!). For answering a question you have to stand up and if a pupil gives the right answer the teacher tells them to clap (especially for me haha).
Everytime I’m struggling with the teachers questions they whisper me the correct answer.
It’s so much fun!
The teacher corrects each ones exercises and gives credits. On Fridays they have a small exam to check what htey’ve learned from Monday to Thursday (thank god I won’t be there tomorrow :D).
At least I’m not doing bad, but I still can barely understand what the teacher is saying all the time...
After Swahili lesson I chuck...Social Studies in class 3 isn’t very interesting..
Btw... Swahili is a funny language. To me it mostly sounds like a baby language. And Words often have so many different meanings. For example "maji" [madschi] mostly means water, but it also can mean alcohol. Irony?
I explored a new phenomen of myself; since I’m done with school I have this thrill for learning.
- Never thought that something like that could ever happen to me.... Oo
~ 13.00: Lunch
Taking lunch with the babyclasses is always a load of fun, because they’re so jolly and chaotic.
For example there is this tiny, tiny boy called Kamau. He doesn’t like eating. He just disappears like ten times during lunch and you’ll find him sitting under the table, hiding. If anybody feeds him he just stays down there having fun doing whatever.
13.30: Spare time - looking for activities..
After lunch I try to keep myself busy (or not...).
The babies are asleep, the lower classes in their lessons and the upper classes at school in Mlolongo. So it’s mostly just me and all the other People who volunteer/work there.
Here a few Options:
*scroll up
additional to that
- (learn how to) make chapati (+ ugali & mandazis)
- help harvesting, cleaning tomatoes (njanja's). They mainly get sold to supermarkets.
- see how cows get fertilizated... ihhh
- milk the cows at 5 ( I love it!!!! )
- go on excursion
On Tuesday I went with James, the caretaker, to Mlolongo by foot. It took us like half an hour but was very tiring because we had to walk through the bush and hills...
We went to the Rehabilitation Center, a partnerproject of the "Heritage of Faith and Hope".
There are 25 Young boys living, who were all rescued from the streets.
They started at a quite young age (around 10) commiting crimes, to some extent with guns.
Stealing, burglary, drugtaking (mostly Marijuana & Alcohol but also Heroine etc.), pickpocketing, violence... Like it is shown in films is part of the past of many of them.
There's this one guy (second pic in front) who did all this at the age of 12 when he was a member of a streetgang.
His mother was/is? a streetgirl/prostitute, many of his friends died, his 3 elder brothers are in jail (because of the same shit) and only his older sister is remaining. At least she's the only one who manages her life. Now he is about 16.. And see how happy he looks!
He's a very smart boy and has discovered his talent in doing music. He's going to record a demotape soon.
This is just one story out of many I was told when I visited. It touched me... It touched me that much that I'm thinking about my own project helping children to get off the street.
I'm thinking about all those girls/sisters who are still out there struggling.
It gives me a very sad feeling thinking of them drugtaking, being violent and selling their own body to survive..
Some day after I'll have accomplished my education I'll start my own initiative.. This is a promise.
- get a second lunch from cook Ivans
~ 17.00: Children come back from School
That's the time when we're having a lot of amusement. Before and after supper till sleeping time we play games, (do sports), braid hair, sing, do homework together, prepare supper, watch TV etc...
ah, remember, it gets dark between 6 and 7... VERY DARK!
~ 19.00: Supper
As you can see my daily food is not very special... It always looks kinda like that. Very plain (without spices), fresh, healthy and mostly vegetarian. Okay sometimes there's an exeption like on the right picture. There's something in there which is called Matumbo - every kenyan loves it. It happened to me that I really don't like it... Matumbo is some bowel of a sheep as the children told me...
it tastes so weird and has a strange concistence... I'm sorry but I really can't stand it..
the breadfight after supper.. can't understand why they love it so much?
After-supper till ~21.30: continue having fun...
today we had a small fotosession after supper.. Sweathearts...
This kids are so ADORABLE!
Giving them good-night-kisses, wiping their tears or feeding them makes me just feel good...
I really do love them...
And the best thing is: they pass the love back to me..
(3.00: Prayers/Singing
There's a woman in this house, who starts praying in the middle of the night. Mostly from 3.00 to 3.30. She sings/prays so loud that I really can't sleep. She does that every single night! No one is bothered (or no one tells) except of me! It's like living next to/in a mosque...
I tried listening to music. Unfortunately I need to turn up the volume so loud that I can't sleep either.
Yesterday night I was so desperate that I started thinking about a possibility of keeping my sleep. So I started chewing gum, wrapped it into cotton whool pads and tried stiffing this construction into my ears... It didn't work as good as I hoped it would :( Even with more cotton and large headphones I heard the disturbing singing...
Unfortunately they don't have Oropax in Kenya (or?). I asked my Auntie to bring me some from England... Or somebody please send me some?!
I'm afraid I'll have to commit suicide if she doesn't stop disturbing me or I won't find a solution. >.<)
Good night world... Let's see how I'll get along with the prayers this night...
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