Becky, Carla, Pat and I spent all day at the orphanage. While us girls continued to paint, Pat made bricks. I wish you could seen him. It looked like the swamp thing when he walked through the door covered head to toe in clay.
Us girls painted 2 more rooms while the teenagers laughed and giggled around us. They are so dang funny dancing in the mirror. But as we painted it came to us that they are in need of so much. I’m hoping to find time or at least a moment to talk with someone about going to get new mattresses and pillows. Then next step is pajamas. When you sleep in play clothes the dirt just transfers. It’s simple, obvious things that are a luxury here.
The rest of the crew spent their day at the school hosting everything from game circle to coloring to a postcard exchange. They came back to the lodge exhausted and covered in red sand. Yup, hours of running, giggling and telling stories to kids in the hot sun. Exhausting. But as soon as they got back to the lodge they were busy at work making gifts for the kids. They printed all the kids photos, put them in frames and tonight we will give them as farewell gifts.
You have no idea how much a photo means to these children. I let a few of the older girls play with my Polaroid while we were painting. They had a beyond great time posing for each other, and then after each picture was taken, they would tuck the photos away secretly in a special place.
We all met up and went to Helen and Richards for dinner. We kept saying to each other ” umm we are in Africa, just eating dinner at someone’s house” as if it were as normal as can be, yet so out of this world.
I got to look at the blueprint for the add’l orphanage. Linda, Chicks for Children, and I just locked eyes each sharing the same thought “this is going to change lives”.
Seriously this is huge. HUGE. And when I get home I’m hoping to be able to share it much better. They all need our help in so many ways and I know you are all dying to hear what you can do for them and be part of this magical story.
Okay gotta get up and get my paint clothes on. Today we’ll finish painting, the crew is hosting Field Day at school, then we’ll head out to the orphanage one last time.
Jenni, Jami, Jeff and a couple others are going into to Kipsango slums to take photo and understand the story better. We want to be able to help you experience the hope that is being created here.
Hi Denise – I have been touched by the blogs. A thought about the mattresses…Art VanElslander (the founder of Art Van) is a very philanthropic person to say the least. He is a native Detroiter and gives back like you do. Anyways, I seriously think you should consider contacting him as he does donate mattresses to charitable causes (I saw it this summer…he donated a bunch to a children’s camp for kids with life threatening issues). I don’t have any contact information, but I would visit the Art Van Furniture home page as a starting point.
Hi Denise – Me again…I continued thinking about the mattresses. I looked on ArtVan’s website. They have a whole section on community initiatives. The number is 586-983-3014 and the web address is [email protected]. I seriously think it is worth a try…I know that this company does a ton for the less fortunate.
Keep doing great things!
What you guys are doing is selfless and so incredibly kind. We can’t wait to hear how we can help those beautiful children more
We are already on it down here in Texas, Denise! We can’t wait to hear what other ways we can help! So inspired!
Wow that was strange. I just wrote an very long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say excellent blog!