Damn African Plumbing...and yay me!

When you are here, you get much less sleep than you expect. You try and go to bed, but you end up  chatting to volunteers about anything and everything, then when you are so exhausted you want to go to bed the Ramadan man wants to sing you a song on his megaphone. 


So the last thing you want is to have a knock on your door at 12:35am, or 5:40am, on your day off, to tell you that the sink or toilet has flooded. It would probably help if people didn't put toilet paper down the loo, you can't do that here. So spending 2 hours of my day off, on 2 different occasions, mopping floors, was not my idea of fun.


On a good note, Amy has now offered all the D.A.V.E project girls (and boys) a job, and there will be no one to teach from September. The 2 orphanages that Amy has good enough relationships with do not have suitable girls, so the project is on hold until Christmas at least (probably).


So, since I still need paying, I am now going to be volunteer co-ordinator. Pick up new volunteers, show them round, do the first few shifts.... good stuff methinks! 

Treating myself!

I can't pretend that Mwanza is a town full of dirt tracks and no facilities, so I had to share today's indulgence. Today I went with some lovely volunteers ;-) to Malaika Beach Resort. It's about 10 minutes away from the Baby Home in a taxi, by the shore and makes you feel like you're in a 5* hotel (well you are!!)


http://www.malaikabeachresort.com/

So yes, I spent a day sat to the left of that cute pool, drinking milkshakes, eating burgers and writing postcards. And I deserved it! 

Karibu Watoto...

Today we received 2 new children - welcome to Jacobo and Yona, whose ages we have guessed at 14 months and 2 years respectively. Both children had been abandoned, so it was a sad day in that respect as someone has clearly cared for them for so long and then suddenly something has happened. Hopefully a family member will come for them soon, as they were both so upset to be at the Baby Home...


Welcome boys xx

Making like a local

Being here for 8 months means I really do need to spend as little as possible, so today I went out with Zoe for a 'locals day'. There was no expensive food or taxis involved!


We walked up the the Dalla Dalla stand, and caught one. Yes me. A Dalla Dalla is a local bus which is never full because they don't have seating limitations. It doesn't matter how many people are hanging out the window, they will let more people on if need be! It's the local's way of getting around and costs 250 TSh (10p) into town as opposed to 5000 TSh (£3.50) for a taxi. 


We got off at a place called Kirumba, and went to a local restaurant where you can buy 1kg bowls of beef, pork, chicken and goat that have been cooked on charcoal for about £2 each. Sadly no goat, but the beef was delicious! Then we went to a market in the same area, which sells tons of fruit and veg. There is a local market, just round the corner from our house, but it is more expensive and the choice is limited.


Anyway, I got over excited at seeing grapes and paid 55p for a bunch (but they were vineyard grapes, not as nice). But I also got 4 passion fruit for 5p each, baby bananas for 3p each, a pineapple for 20p and 5 huge sweet potatoes for 20p. The local market has pineapples at double that price, but obviously that is still cheap, and they like me now as I do all my shopping there in Swahili. 


Will try and make the western supermarket a monthly treat...

Checking out Mavuno Village

For a long time now we have known that many of the children at the Baby Home are too big to be there; they need a more permanent place to live as adoption is sadly looking less and less likely. 


Today we went to visit a place called Mavuno Village. Their concept is great - each child lives in a house with a mum, dad, and 9 siblings... a family!! Isn't that what they all need? Read about it at 
http://www.mavunovillage.org/index.shtml

Michael and Aika are 2 children who certainly need a home, so today we took them for a visit to meet their new mum and dad. They seemed to like the place so hopefully they will move very soon, now their licence has been approved.

Even though it is the right thing, it will be sad to say goodbye...

Get Better Soon...

Everybody is physically and emotionally exhausted right now. There is super loud music playing nightly til 3 am about 100 metres away, and there's a screaming goat just outside the gate. Soon it will be Ramadan and the loud dance music will be replaced by some dude singing and chanting through his megaphones... also around 100 metres away. Love it. 


Every time I come here there's sickness in the Baby Home (or am I being paranoid?). In 2008 there was measles and chicken pox, in 2009 Elizabeth hung in the balance and now 3 children have malaria and almost everyone has or has had random high fevers that have knocked them out for a few days. We painted some of the play room tonight but couldn't get the staff involved as they had about 10 kids crying and sick! Maybe next time. We did bring them Chipsi Mayai and Samosas though. 


Get better quick guys! 

Goodbye Mija!

Mija was a funny looking Tiny Baby.. with masses of curly hair, she was small, perfectly formed and demanding! A bouncy chair was not good enough and you had to cuddle her constantly or she would cry! 
Returning 8 months later, I quickly searched for Mija and found this beautiful little girl, sitting up, crawling, smiling, hair beautifully braided...wow. Mija is an angel and she never cries! Anyway today she returned to her Baba, who is very nice and was very happy to see her. 
Love you Mija, be good for your daddy!! xx

World Cup Fever

I have never cared about football, but tonight, watching Ghana V Uruguay, I got caught up in the whole thing and was so desperate for Ghana to win I cried when they didn't! They were cheated out of it... 


I would never watch,properly, more than 5 minutes of football in the UK but Africa does strange things to you.


I also made peanut butter cookies with the D.A.V.E students today, they turned out OK.

Hello Babies!

Yes I arrived in Mwanza 3 days ago, but have been way too excited about seeing my babies again to update this!


The rest of the journey was good, despite being stung by Precision for extra luggage, and having to wait 40 minutes for my second case to get off the plane, but I got 'home' to lots of volunteers, lots of Bethany girls and pancakes! I managed one and had to go to bed, shattered!


All the new vols are nice, the staff are lovely as always. I was so happy that so many remembered me. The children are amazing as always!! However their behaviour has deteriorated and I was in for a few shocks, namely Davey! This angelic Big Baby has turned into 'hard work', lets say! I was shocked when I walked in the Baby Home and he was pushing the washing basket down the corridor... so I picked him up and he smacked me clean across the face!!! I spent lots of time with Big Babies, they were all last years Tiny Babies and are growing up so beautiful... Mija, Angel and Anna especially!!! 


My first full day here was interesting, and you remember that plans never go as they should! I went to hospital with Amy to meet George who has had surgery to create an anus. He is the most beautiful, happiest, smiliest child you could ever meet (despite the pain he must be in). On the way down we were called in to pick up a new baby! So Josephine Angel became baby number 117. The prem unit always shocks me, there was a newborn lying on a sofa - mum had given birth by Caesarian and gone to recover, and the baby was just left there unwashed, unfed etc and will remain so until mum comes to get it... whenever that may be. God Bless Africa....