Bittersweet

It is just before 6:00, and I am sitting here at the computer smelling dinner cooking in the kitchen. The children wiped me out again today. After lunch, I fell asleep and missed Swahili lessons and how to clean your clothes to get the dirt out. I just sent my laundry to be done this morning. A full bag cost me $6.20. There is no way I'm going to waste a couple hours scrubbing it myself for that amount of money.

Today was bittersweet at Faraja. I started out my English lessons with the alphabet, explaining that the letters make sounds, and the sounds form words. One bright student, Ally, picked up on it quite fast and he learned to read easy words by the end of class. I felt like that was quite an accomplishment for one day, considering the language barrier.

After class, Tumifsu Massawe (he told us his name today- a week after we started) walked Kat and I to the local primary school (grades 1-7) so we could see some of his old students that were sponsered by previous volunteers. They looked so cute in their uniforms. The school teaches English and Swahili together, so the children will be ready for secondary schools (grades 8-12) which only teach in English.

We spoke to the headmaster of the school, who speaks wonderful English, along with all the teachers, and she asked if we would be sponsoring any children. I definitely want to sponsor Ally, and Kat is sponsoring Judith. Right now, we have identified those students as ready for school. Most others are too young or haven't learned enough yet, but maybe another one or two will be ready. It costs about $400 to sponser a child for a full year, including tuition, books and supplies, and 2 uniforms.

We walked back with Tumifsu and talked about a few children in class. Turns out that 4 of them are HIV positive, and have already lost both parents. One of those children, Abduli, has a learning disorder and is dyslexic. He lives with his very poor grandfather, and I don't know what will happen to him when he passes away. Ally's father is passed, and his mother is "crazy", so he lives with whatever relatives will take him in. He is a smart boy, and I want him to be in school. It was so sad to imagine what the home life of my students must be like.

I, in turn, am trying to remember my home life. I feel like I have been here for weeks. I am looking at photos often, but it does no justice. I will be more than ready to come home in 2 more weeks. I am going on safari this weekend, which I will blog about at another time, and I am really looking forward to that. I hope it makes the week pass quickly! As much as I am happy to be here, I wish I could be home at the same time. I have dreams almost every night (the malaria medication makes them very vivid, I hear) that I am planning a trip here, but am not here yet. Then I wake up and see the mosquito net. Surprise!