Last weekend

Last Full Week

On Friday’s school is only a half daylong so we teach for about two and a half hours and then they have “games”…soccer, volleyball etc. Today we had volunteers from CCS to come join us so they did a lesson with the kids about music and taught them about the basics of music notes.  Was impressed at how quickly they caught on and how much they retained. Later I had the man who did the lesson write it out for me so we could keep in in the lesson folder for volunteers to come. Unfortunately games could not happen because it started down pouring at about 10:00, a half hour before break. Instead I got a bunch of puzzles and board games from the cabinet along with some drawing supplies and let the kids play with it all along with the volunteers. The children’s attention span dwindled quickly and I had to think of a new idea to fill the time. I took one of the computers out of the internet café and posted it in the room to get a dance party going. The kids listen to some really funny rap music and they absolutely love to dance! At first they were shy because the other volunteers where there but after I found a few of their favorite songs they couldn’t stop dancing and vying for the center spot in the video. The rain eventually stopped but it was time for us to leave for lunch. In the afternoon we played soccer for a little while and then I took another try at the motorcycle and did it all on my own from the start. I had trouble stopping the first time I stopped and the bike tipped over- it is pretty heavy. But after that I was able to stop fine and I was getting better and better at shifting too!

Usually we don’t spend too much time at the orphanage on the weekend but this is our last weekend here and we want to get in as much time as possible before we leave. We had intended on doing a big field day with the children and getting them ice cream at the end however, the weather had different plans. Instead we brought over a few movies, set the DVD player up, got ice cream for all the kids, and gathered together for a movie day outside but under covered area. The kids were so excited for ice cream they never get to have it so it was a treat. They all waited patiently in a perfect line and got which ever flavor we handed them without fuss and loved every drop of it… the little ones were too tiny to eat a whole one so they split it up and end up with most of it on their shirts. WE try to make a point of putting garbage in a bag instead of throwing it on the ground as people here most regularly do…. There are no public garbage cans anywhere they just eat/drink and toss.  The little ones (2-4) have it already instilled in them that you just throw it to the side when you are done.

 I started to get emotional today while sitting with one of the kids from my class (one of my favorites). A lot of the children’s moods are changing because they know it is getting closer to the time when we are leaving. They get a sad look in their face when people talk about it or when we are all playing together but I try to make them laugh and tell them to have a good time. Prince, the child in my class, has huge eyes, dark skin, is very quiet, and is the most precious voice ever something you would imagine a chipmunk having, but not like Alvin the chipmunk, a real LIVE one. Prince was holding my hand while we watched the rain fall together and tried to catch some drops on our toes together when he looked at me and said “Jessie I know your leaving soon, why do you have to leave me?” I nearly choked and said “Oh, Prince I don’t WANT to leave you, but it is time for me to go back to my home for now”. I tried to smile but my lip was limp and he returned it with “Well, I wish you didn’t have to leave, I am going to miss you, and I wish you could stay here with me.” I just squeezed his hand blinked like 500 times and got out the words “Me too Prince”. The kids are truly amazing and I know I say I want to come back every summer even for a week or two but I don’t know what the futures holds and that is the saddest part. I don’t know where the children will be in a year from now the older ones are nearly 15 and all though they don’t have to leave at a certain time you wonder what they have to look forward to in the real world and the little ones are so precious you want to always know they are smiling. We have a great day planned for them tomorrow and I know it will leave them with smiles and memories. We are going over at 4 in the afternoon and giving them a big feast for dinner. They never get chicken or pasta, usually just rice or fish stew (dried fish). So we have arranged them to have joloff rice, fried chicken, pasta, biscuits, and flavored juice.it is a surprise only the teachers know we are doing it and they kids will find out when we arrive with it all. I can only imagine their faces when they see all that food. It will be the perfect way to spend our last weekend with them.      

<3Good Things
Picture 1 and 2 - Group pictures of children enjoying their ice cream and movie.
Picture 3- Prince enjoying his ice cream- (this changed his mood a bit).