Don't Fight

The past day has been really good but also very sad. I have spent a lot of time with the older boys working on fractions (haven't done that in awhile). Then last night I played Monopoly with some of the boys and WON might I add. They have really strange rules to the game, which makes it go a lot quicker (more fun too)! The boys have this balcony in their house that is open and so we played the game up there. One of the little boys was up there with us as well and while we weren't looking he decided to poop on the floor and then smear it around a bit. Alfred was really nice because when I got up to go clean it up he told me not to worry about it. He said that I shouldn't have to clean poop up in the morning and in the afternoon so he went and cleaned it up for me.

There is a boy named Dennis; although now that I am saying that he isn't really a boy. He is just out of Senior High and is volunteering at the home. He is Ghanaian and is helping me tutor the boys. He is working on studying for the SAT because he wants to attend University in the United States. It has been really rewarding getting to know him because he is so ambitious and at times I feel lazy when I talk with him. He is taking his subject tests in May and is working on applying to Penn. He is AMAZING at physics and so I let him work on science with the boys and I stick to the basics.

This morning I was struggling with the little ones. The 2-5 year olds are between terms and so have been off school for the past week. On a normal day I deal with about 10 toddlers that are either too sick or too weak to go to school. However, when the other kids are off school I am in charge of them too. That means that this past week I have been in charge of 30 2-5 year olds. The boys ages 6-10 are off of school as well and so this morning we were on the playground and I was spending some time with them as well. In order for this story to make sense to you I have to go off on a tangent about the new boy Samuel.

Samuel I believe is about 6 and he came to the home 3 days ago. I was leaving the toddler house when I met him for the first time. He was standing at the gate of the orphanage sobbing with no one around. I walked up to him and got down on my knees to talk to him and he just wrapped his arms around my neck and cried. I didn't know why he was crying at by that point I didn't even know he was new. I got him calmed down and walked him back over to the little boy house and that is when they told me he was new. They got him some food and I left to take my break before coming back in the afternoon. Since then every day when I come in the home he walks beside me without saying a word. He will hug me and stand by me but he doesn't speak any English. So getting back to today's story......

I was at the playground with some of the younger boys and I looked over as one of the boys picked up a rock and smacked Samuel across the head with it. He managed to cut the side of his head and there was quite a good amount of blood. I grabbed the little boy by the arm and dragged him back to the house for the older boys to watch him while I cleaned up Samuel. After I got him all cleaned up I took made sure the Auntie knew what he had done. Then I went back to the playground with Samuel and two other boys hit him across the back and poured dirt down the back of his shirt. I went over and grabbed them by the shirt and asked them what the thought they were doing. They told me that he was stealing their food.

He LIVES THERE! He is not stealing their food but he lives there and has to eat. He doesn't want to be living there but he has no choice. It took everything within me not to start crying. They were being so cruel when all this boy needs is a friend. I was shattered and went to find one of the older boys and explained to him what was happening. He took all three boys in a room and yelled at them and explained to them that it was not acceptable to treat him that way. While they were getting yelled at I brushed the dirt off Samuel and picked him up off the ground. Another little boy walked over to Samuel with a toy car and handed it to him. They sat there and played together for the next hour or so.

I struggle with how mean these children can be to each other. I now understand why it was so hard for my parents to watch me and my brothers fight. These kids need to support each other because they are all each other have. I spent the rest of the morning with the babies to keep myself from going off the deep end. My house mate Claire leaves on Monday and my roommate Amy leaves to go traveling for two weeks on Sunday and then will leave when she gets back. I will have new roommates soon and so that should be an experience. I fall more in love with these kids each day. I become less grossed out my their slobber, spit, poop, and snot. I love to kiss and hug them and make them smile. I love it here. I hope that you all enjoyed this email!!!!!!