Watoto Wote Wazuri

So we are here at last! We have thus far spent an exciting and  busy first day here at Nyumbani Children’s Home.  After trying to catch up a little after missing a whole day’s sleep we awoke to the generous hospitality of the our Spurwing hosts, neighbors to the children’s home, and the largest breakfast I have ever seen. The day then began with spending the morning with the preschool kids at the orphanage, the St. Paul Miki School kids. There were 4 adults and 2o children and we were very busy! Although all of these children are HIV+ they are healthy an energetic. While the other adults did a craft project and played on the played on the playground , I did facepainting with all 20 of them. It was a little like working with jumping beans in a bowling alley. They were all adorable and loved having their faces painted!

The "lion"

We had lunch with the adolescent girls in their hostle and after lunch had a tour began a tour of the orphanage. Just prior to embarking on our tour we had the pleasure of meeting a woman who is actually the grandmother or “shosho” of one of the children who was brought to the Children’s Home originally for respite care and on the brink of death. She is now renourished and receiving treatment for HIV and is one of the few children here who has any known family. Her granmother walks for many miles every couple of weeks to visit her and supports herself and many of the other members of her village by selling her jewelry. It was an honor to meet her and to buy some of her jewelry which allowed her to buy transportation home.

Latia's Shosho and Sister Little at Nyumbani

During the tour we heard the story of the founding of the Children’s Home much of which I told in one of my earliest posts. We did get to tour the respite cottage where there were four young children getting respite care. All had come in from the Lea Toto Program in Kibera and are now doing very well after having been extremely malnourished.

One of the children in respite care

We met many of the children who were happy and lively and delighted to have visitors and loved to wlecome us, have their pictures taken, break inti spontaneous singing and dancing and introduce themselves with handshakes and often hugs.

Mark, hamming it up!

Well, it’s time to go sort food. There is so much more I could say but no more time for blogging!

Kwaheri!