Carly –I am hardly drinking anything (other than gallons of water, that is) – as surprising as it may seem. They do have pretty good beer (bia) here, namely Kilimanjaro and Serengeti. But, somehow it just doesn’t seem appealing to be hungover in a place where the toilets are holes in the ground…However, on the safari we were so cold one night that we were drinking shots of Konyagi – which tastes like a mix between cheap gin and cheap vodka. A bottle of it costs 3500 Tsh which is less than three dollars – no I’m not joking. It doesn’t taste good but it sure warms you up!
Mom – Yes there are a few older people here. There is one woman here with her daughter, and she is working in the maternity ward of a hospital. There are also two older guys (50s?), both of whom work in a placement where the kids actually live at the orphanage. It’s about an hour and a half out of town, and it’s very remote. But, if I were to come back here – it is definitely the placement I would request. It’s more like a campus where the volunteers live at the orphanage and help the kids out all day long. Most of the kids are between the ages of 9 and 19 and they are mostly street kids that have been rehabilitated from glue sniffing and other crazy things and taken to this orphanage where they are put back in school and attend extra classes in the evenings (taught by volunteers) to get them caught up.
Dad – A while ago you asked about people staying here for extended periods of time. I just met someone here who has been traveling, primarily volunteering, through IVHQ since March. She has been to India, Thailand, Kashmir, Tanzania, Greece, and a whole collection of other places, spending at least a month in each place and combining volunteering with land tours. She’s twenty. I’m jealous.
I leave here Friday, making tomorrow my last day at the orphanage. I finally know enough Swahili to almost keep control of the class, and now I am leaving. Excellent. I have been compiling a list of things I will miss (the kids) and things I most definitely will not (carbohydrates). More to come/ It’s amazing how short two weeks seems now.
Mom – Yes there are a few older people here. There is one woman here with her daughter, and she is working in the maternity ward of a hospital. There are also two older guys (50s?), both of whom work in a placement where the kids actually live at the orphanage. It’s about an hour and a half out of town, and it’s very remote. But, if I were to come back here – it is definitely the placement I would request. It’s more like a campus where the volunteers live at the orphanage and help the kids out all day long. Most of the kids are between the ages of 9 and 19 and they are mostly street kids that have been rehabilitated from glue sniffing and other crazy things and taken to this orphanage where they are put back in school and attend extra classes in the evenings (taught by volunteers) to get them caught up.
Dad – A while ago you asked about people staying here for extended periods of time. I just met someone here who has been traveling, primarily volunteering, through IVHQ since March. She has been to India, Thailand, Kashmir, Tanzania, Greece, and a whole collection of other places, spending at least a month in each place and combining volunteering with land tours. She’s twenty. I’m jealous.
I leave here Friday, making tomorrow my last day at the orphanage. I finally know enough Swahili to almost keep control of the class, and now I am leaving. Excellent. I have been compiling a list of things I will miss (the kids) and things I most definitely will not (carbohydrates). More to come/ It’s amazing how short two weeks seems now.
WOW!!!! AN Amazing Blog!!! I love the pictures(even with the old camera). I'm jealous and extremely happy for you and this amazing trip.I'm really looking forward to hearing about trip in person(Kristin style)Miss you!
ReplyDeleteHey Kris we all love the blog you are doing great. It is all so interesting. Dad
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