So I know that I haven't written in awhile and that was mainly because there has been so much going on but I wasn't planning on telling anyone until I got home and devised a plan. However, I feel that I should go ahead and prep you for my return home. I am leaving here in a week and a half and I can't even express how torn I am. The happiness of coming home to my family and friends but still having this terrible empty feeling when I think about leaving these kids.
One of the girls came up to me last night and told me that when I left she was going to cry and that it would pain her so much. I haven't connected with a lot of the girls but she is one of the few. The boys told me that I am not allowed to cry when I leave-- we'll see how that goes over.
Graduation is tomorrow and I will be missing it. It is going to be a very hard day for me when I realize that all of my friends back home are together celebrating.
So I might as well just jump right in:
I will be fundraising just over $51,500 when I return to Glen Ellyn. In the past week I have found out that 6 of the older boys will be getting kicked out of the orphanage due to the change in supervisor (the one who told me I was too small to be respected). With this money I will be funding food and a place to live for these six boys for the next four years until they can finish Senior High School. I know that this amount of money sounds ridiculous but I know that God will be faithful and will help me fund raise this money. This is my plan. A plan that is bigger than me and a plan that I was brought to Ghana to achieve. I fully believe that this is the reason I stayed the extra month and this is the reason that I was brought here in the first place.
There are so many details that I am not including in this e-mail simply for the fact that I am going to do this the formal way when I return home. I will be asking for donations and I am going to need your help. I will not be able to do this without the help of my family and friends. I hope that the fact that you have followed me on my journey up to this point will help.
So as of right now I do not want any donations. I am going to have biographies of all the boys when I return and I am going to be doing this in a way that is professional and gives you more information. I just thought I should let everyone know what has been going on here and why you haven't heard from me in so long.
I will e-mail again before I leave in the next week and half but right now I need prayers. Prayers that God will provide for these boys and will help me to achieve my goal. I am sorry that this e-mail is so vague. I promise that once my thoughts are organized you will know more.
Claire
P.S. Here is a funny story. Last night I was outside at the orphanage and it started to down pour so I ran to the social center thinking I could get in and walk through to my room. Turns out the social center was locked and so I stood under the canopy hoping the rain would stop. Well the rain kept coming and only got stronger. So strong in fact that the sewers flooded and I had to stand on a table so that I wouldn't be standing in sewage. I was there for about an hour. I was very very wet. That's all for now. I hope that made sense.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
A Plan
Hello everyone,
This is going to be a very vague e-mail but....
I have a plan. A plan that is so much bigger than me.
It is the reason that I was brought here and the reason I stayed an extra month.
I can't do this alone and when I get home I am going to need everyone's help.
Pray that God provides for Kwesi and Edward (two of the boys at the home). I can't explain until I have more information.
I was sent here for a reason.
Kwesi looked me in the eyes last night and he said "Claire, there is something different about you. You are different than all the other volunteers that come here. You care so much about us and you can tell."
The wheels in my brain are spinning. I need an organized plan.
This is going to be a very vague e-mail but....
I have a plan. A plan that is so much bigger than me.
It is the reason that I was brought here and the reason I stayed an extra month.
I can't do this alone and when I get home I am going to need everyone's help.
Pray that God provides for Kwesi and Edward (two of the boys at the home). I can't explain until I have more information.
I was sent here for a reason.
Kwesi looked me in the eyes last night and he said "Claire, there is something different about you. You are different than all the other volunteers that come here. You care so much about us and you can tell."
The wheels in my brain are spinning. I need an organized plan.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Being Sick Sucks
So I got sick on Friday night. I had a fever, a headache, and the shakes. I just felt like crap in general. I haven't been properly sick since I have been here and let me tell you I would prefer if it didn't happen again. I don't have a roommate and I certainly don't have my mom here. Going to sleep on Friday night knowing that I was sick was difficult. Luckily on Sat. morning I had one of my friends take care of me. He called me as soon as he woke up at 7 and told me that I needed to get up and go wait outside because he was going to come and pick me up in a cab to take me to the hospital. I spent 5 hours on Saturday getting tested for malaria. My friend sat with me the entire 5 hours we had to wait and then made sure I got both of my meals that day. Turns out I don't have malaria just an infection of some sort and so they gave me antibiotics and I have to go back on Wed. to pick up some test results. I am not feeling 100% but I am doing a lot better. I am so thankful that it wasn't malaria and thankful that I have such good friends here that they are watching out for me when I don't have parents to do that.
This past week has been hard and I think that is part of the reason I got sick. I need everyone back home to know that I am not staying longer cause I am running away from things back home but I am doing this because I think it is the right thing for me and the kids. Trust me, it is hard to be here sometimes. Knowing that I was supposed to be home by now is difficult when I hear stories about things going on at home. I miss home and I miss real showers and healthy food and not having to wear mosquito repellent everywhere I go. I am pressing on and the kids make it a lot easier on me. They can read me and they can tell when I am having a hard time. Having said all of this I do not regret my decision in staying. I am positive that this is where I should be even when I just want to be home.
I walked out of my guest house the other day and at the same time Edward (one of the older boys) was leaving the house and tears were just streaming down his face. He tried to cover up his tears by telling me that he had just woken up. He is 16 and is the smartest boy (as far as I can tell) at the home and shows the most potential. His parents abandoned him 10 years ago and he said that sometimes he just has this feeling of emptiness. That sometimes there is a sadness that comes over him that is so strong he can't push it away--no matter how hard he tries. He wants to become a lawyer and from there go into politics and change Ghana. He studies more than any of the boys and is so articulate. I am going to the U.S. Embassy to pick up a practice ACT book for him. He wants to go to University in America and I believe that he has the ability. I get so angry sometimes because I don't have the slightest idea how someone could abandon their child. I know that I don't know the story and maybe it was for the best but it breaks my heart to see Edward struggle with something like that; to think that he isn't good enough because his parents left him. It takes everything within me not to scream and kick holes through walls. I want to see him succeed and I know that he will, I wish his parents could see that too.
I have also made an executive decision that if you stuck a bunch of Ghanaian babies and a bunch of American babies in a room together with small objects the American babies would choke first. I have sat here for the past 3 months watching these kids shove stones, coins and beads into their mouth and not once have they choked. Maybe they are just lucky but somehow I think they might just be a little bit smarter. Survival of the fittest.
I am going to go now but I hope that you all know that I miss you guys back home and I will be so happy to see you.
This past week has been hard and I think that is part of the reason I got sick. I need everyone back home to know that I am not staying longer cause I am running away from things back home but I am doing this because I think it is the right thing for me and the kids. Trust me, it is hard to be here sometimes. Knowing that I was supposed to be home by now is difficult when I hear stories about things going on at home. I miss home and I miss real showers and healthy food and not having to wear mosquito repellent everywhere I go. I am pressing on and the kids make it a lot easier on me. They can read me and they can tell when I am having a hard time. Having said all of this I do not regret my decision in staying. I am positive that this is where I should be even when I just want to be home.
I walked out of my guest house the other day and at the same time Edward (one of the older boys) was leaving the house and tears were just streaming down his face. He tried to cover up his tears by telling me that he had just woken up. He is 16 and is the smartest boy (as far as I can tell) at the home and shows the most potential. His parents abandoned him 10 years ago and he said that sometimes he just has this feeling of emptiness. That sometimes there is a sadness that comes over him that is so strong he can't push it away--no matter how hard he tries. He wants to become a lawyer and from there go into politics and change Ghana. He studies more than any of the boys and is so articulate. I am going to the U.S. Embassy to pick up a practice ACT book for him. He wants to go to University in America and I believe that he has the ability. I get so angry sometimes because I don't have the slightest idea how someone could abandon their child. I know that I don't know the story and maybe it was for the best but it breaks my heart to see Edward struggle with something like that; to think that he isn't good enough because his parents left him. It takes everything within me not to scream and kick holes through walls. I want to see him succeed and I know that he will, I wish his parents could see that too.
I have also made an executive decision that if you stuck a bunch of Ghanaian babies and a bunch of American babies in a room together with small objects the American babies would choke first. I have sat here for the past 3 months watching these kids shove stones, coins and beads into their mouth and not once have they choked. Maybe they are just lucky but somehow I think they might just be a little bit smarter. Survival of the fittest.
I am going to go now but I hope that you all know that I miss you guys back home and I will be so happy to see you.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Really Long
So I decided I should write to you guys about what living in the orphanage is like.
For starters, I am so exhausted. My body feels like it is still asleep and I am trying to drag it along. I guess we can start with my room.
My room is a good size, not enormous but big enough to hold a couch, dresser, coffee table, double bed and mini fridge. Also there is a toilet and shower that have running water....sometimes (as I discovered this morning). Still it is a lot better than before. I am out of toilet paper though so I need to go and buy some. I know that from my description my room sounds HUGE but it is all very close together. I am on the second floor of the guest house and I have two neighbors (I already knew them). One is a pastor and his wife and kids. Then the other is a young man (Ghanaian) that is living there and I think working at the orphanage part time?? Who knows. Anyway, back to the room: I am on the corner of the house so I have to walls that have windows on them. No sign of cockroaches yet and hopefully there will never be any. My mini fridge is amazing because I am now having to supply my own water sachets.
How I am feeling about it: The room is lonely to be honest. I think it is just going to take some getting used to. I feel very safe but it is still very different from living with a family. My friend Edwin (a volunteer that sleeps at the orphanage sometimes) has been keeping me good company. He has helped me be creative in setting up my mosquito netting because there was no hook on the ceiling. My first night I slept horrible. There was a huge storm and so I couldn't sleep and normally when this happens I have a roommate to talk to but instead I called home and talked to my brother for a decent amount of time. Fell asleep at 3:30am and got up at 6:30. There is something unique about living at the orphanage though. Yesterday I walked out of the house at 7am and all the kids were getting ready for school. They all ran up to me and were so happy to see me which was refreshing. I then walked out to the road with Edwin to find some porridge (tasted sweet) and some bread (that was fried like a donut...very good). I sat with Alfred (one of the boys that now has a job at the roadside) and I shared my porridge with him and Edwin.
I went back in and helped out with the babies for a little while and then the toddlers like I normally do. I only ended up leaving for an hour yesterday until the night but it felt nice. A lot of the older boys are at the home during the day now because they just finished their exams and are waiting 5 months before they go back to school. Having them around during the day makes a big difference and I am also helping of the boys with his English. He is not attending school right now because his mother told him that she was going to come back (and the home doesn't want to have to leave school) so they just never enrolled him. Last night I took one of my old roommates to the airport and then went back to the home where all the boys were waiting up for me. I actually got a phone call while I was gone and it was Yakubu asking me where I was and when I was going to be home. I have more parents at the orphanage than I did at my host house. All the little boys came out and said goodnight to me before they went to sleep and told me they would see me in the morning before school. As I was falling asleep last night I could hear someone yelling my name in my window.
This morning I was out of my room by 7am and hung around for a little with some of the little boys. They had an empty suitcase that they were playing with and so I showed them how I could fit inside of it (they thought that was pretty funny). Then two of the boys (Junior and Yao (older Yao)) sat in the suitcase next to each other and I rolled them around the compound as they pretended they were flying. Once I was done with that I felt pretty useless and so I asked one of the Aunties if I could help out with anything and so she gave me a lot of different chores. I helped serve the kids breakfast (porridge and bread). I helped clean the dishes from breakfast. I helped feed one of the special needs kids and cleaned him up. Then finally I got to watch how the little boys get ready for school and remind them of anything they had forgotten. They are trying to teach them how to get ready on their own and so they just watch them and tell them steps they miss. All the things they need to do are: button up the uniform and tuck it in properly, make sure the collar is in the right position, rub oil on their skin and hair (not sure why), brush their hair, eat their breakfast, get their biscuits, pick up their lunch, take medicine (if they have it), and then get their books and walk to school. They are definitely taught with tough love but it clearly works.
I am good and I am happy but it is very different. I am tired and worn out. I get lonely and find that I am using more phone credit than I ever did living in my host house. I love being with the kids at all times and they love me being there. It is going to take some getting used to but it is overall good. As for food-- I will buy street food and try and limit my spending.
Sorry this is so long.
For starters, I am so exhausted. My body feels like it is still asleep and I am trying to drag it along. I guess we can start with my room.
My room is a good size, not enormous but big enough to hold a couch, dresser, coffee table, double bed and mini fridge. Also there is a toilet and shower that have running water....sometimes (as I discovered this morning). Still it is a lot better than before. I am out of toilet paper though so I need to go and buy some. I know that from my description my room sounds HUGE but it is all very close together. I am on the second floor of the guest house and I have two neighbors (I already knew them). One is a pastor and his wife and kids. Then the other is a young man (Ghanaian) that is living there and I think working at the orphanage part time?? Who knows. Anyway, back to the room: I am on the corner of the house so I have to walls that have windows on them. No sign of cockroaches yet and hopefully there will never be any. My mini fridge is amazing because I am now having to supply my own water sachets.
How I am feeling about it: The room is lonely to be honest. I think it is just going to take some getting used to. I feel very safe but it is still very different from living with a family. My friend Edwin (a volunteer that sleeps at the orphanage sometimes) has been keeping me good company. He has helped me be creative in setting up my mosquito netting because there was no hook on the ceiling. My first night I slept horrible. There was a huge storm and so I couldn't sleep and normally when this happens I have a roommate to talk to but instead I called home and talked to my brother for a decent amount of time. Fell asleep at 3:30am and got up at 6:30. There is something unique about living at the orphanage though. Yesterday I walked out of the house at 7am and all the kids were getting ready for school. They all ran up to me and were so happy to see me which was refreshing. I then walked out to the road with Edwin to find some porridge (tasted sweet) and some bread (that was fried like a donut...very good). I sat with Alfred (one of the boys that now has a job at the roadside) and I shared my porridge with him and Edwin.
I went back in and helped out with the babies for a little while and then the toddlers like I normally do. I only ended up leaving for an hour yesterday until the night but it felt nice. A lot of the older boys are at the home during the day now because they just finished their exams and are waiting 5 months before they go back to school. Having them around during the day makes a big difference and I am also helping of the boys with his English. He is not attending school right now because his mother told him that she was going to come back (and the home doesn't want to have to leave school) so they just never enrolled him. Last night I took one of my old roommates to the airport and then went back to the home where all the boys were waiting up for me. I actually got a phone call while I was gone and it was Yakubu asking me where I was and when I was going to be home. I have more parents at the orphanage than I did at my host house. All the little boys came out and said goodnight to me before they went to sleep and told me they would see me in the morning before school. As I was falling asleep last night I could hear someone yelling my name in my window.
This morning I was out of my room by 7am and hung around for a little with some of the little boys. They had an empty suitcase that they were playing with and so I showed them how I could fit inside of it (they thought that was pretty funny). Then two of the boys (Junior and Yao (older Yao)) sat in the suitcase next to each other and I rolled them around the compound as they pretended they were flying. Once I was done with that I felt pretty useless and so I asked one of the Aunties if I could help out with anything and so she gave me a lot of different chores. I helped serve the kids breakfast (porridge and bread). I helped clean the dishes from breakfast. I helped feed one of the special needs kids and cleaned him up. Then finally I got to watch how the little boys get ready for school and remind them of anything they had forgotten. They are trying to teach them how to get ready on their own and so they just watch them and tell them steps they miss. All the things they need to do are: button up the uniform and tuck it in properly, make sure the collar is in the right position, rub oil on their skin and hair (not sure why), brush their hair, eat their breakfast, get their biscuits, pick up their lunch, take medicine (if they have it), and then get their books and walk to school. They are definitely taught with tough love but it clearly works.
I am good and I am happy but it is very different. I am tired and worn out. I get lonely and find that I am using more phone credit than I ever did living in my host house. I love being with the kids at all times and they love me being there. It is going to take some getting used to but it is overall good. As for food-- I will buy street food and try and limit my spending.
Sorry this is so long.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Living At Osu Children's Home
It has been awhile. Things have been going well. As of yesterday I am officially moved into Osu Children's Home. It was a weird feeling yesterday morning when I had to pack up all of my things but not go home. I am happy I am staying here for another month but part of me just misses home so much.
On Sunday I went to three football matches. Cantonments (a football club here) was playing their rival team. I can't remember if I told you guys that my friend is the co-manager of Cantonments and so I have ended up going to most of the matches. Five minutes before the under 12 match began it started to pour rain but they continued to play anyway. The under 12's won 6-0. During that match I ran home and grabbed my sweatshirt (yes my sweatshirt, I was so happy) and by the time I was back the under 14's were about to start. The under 14's won 2-0 and then finally the under 17's won their match 2-1. I sat out in the pouring rain all day cheering on these amazing players and had the best time. Days like Sunday make me want to stay here for a lot longer. Professional football is cool but it is nothing compared to these kids. Professional players are supposed to be good but kids this young are not always expected to be this talented.
Now back to moving into the orphanage. I was really lonely yesterday when I first moved my things in but by the end of the day I was feeling better. Waking up this morning with the kids already there was a great feeling and I love being at the orphanage 24/7. I will tell you more about moving in later but I just can't think right now. Hope all is well. I would really appreciate e-mails for the next month because I think this could be my hardest month here in Ghana.
On Sunday I went to three football matches. Cantonments (a football club here) was playing their rival team. I can't remember if I told you guys that my friend is the co-manager of Cantonments and so I have ended up going to most of the matches. Five minutes before the under 12 match began it started to pour rain but they continued to play anyway. The under 12's won 6-0. During that match I ran home and grabbed my sweatshirt (yes my sweatshirt, I was so happy) and by the time I was back the under 14's were about to start. The under 14's won 2-0 and then finally the under 17's won their match 2-1. I sat out in the pouring rain all day cheering on these amazing players and had the best time. Days like Sunday make me want to stay here for a lot longer. Professional football is cool but it is nothing compared to these kids. Professional players are supposed to be good but kids this young are not always expected to be this talented.
Now back to moving into the orphanage. I was really lonely yesterday when I first moved my things in but by the end of the day I was feeling better. Waking up this morning with the kids already there was a great feeling and I love being at the orphanage 24/7. I will tell you more about moving in later but I just can't think right now. Hope all is well. I would really appreciate e-mails for the next month because I think this could be my hardest month here in Ghana.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Sad Note
This week has been going pretty well. I was feeling really sick on Monday so I just stayed in the house the whole day because I didn't want to make it worse.
I was feeling much better by yesterday but I am still really tired.
I slept past my alarm this morning---the first time since I have been in Ghana. I can tell that I am getting comfortable here. haha
On a sad note. One of my babies seems to be wasting away. His name is Yoa (Yow). I was here his first day in the orphanage and I instantly fell in love with him. He was so unhappy when he came but he is starting to be a little more cheerful. He has these little pouty lips and I can spend hours trying to make him smile. When he first got here he was a little bit chubby (as babies should be). Now his knees are bigger than his thighs and his heels are bigger than his ankles. His face is thinning out and his arms seem like they could break at any moment. When I hold him he clings on so tight that I don't even need to use my arms to hold him up. When I set him down he will cry for hours (not an exaggeration). I have noticed him losing weight and I kept telling the other volunteers but they said that he was ok and that the Aunties would notice if he actually was. Now they notice and when they asked the Aunties about it the aunties told them that he is losing so much weight because we give him too much attention. His is literally wasting away before my eyes and I don't know what to do to stop it.
I found out about one of the little boys Emmanuel. His father is in jail because he used to beat Emmanuel half to death. Sometimes it is easier not to know the stories of these kids but I feel that they need to be heard.
There are two twins named Akoko (yes she has my nickname as a real name) and Aquilly. They were found tied to a tree outside their house. They had developed their own language to communicate to each other but now they barely talk to each other.
I can't write anymore.
I was feeling much better by yesterday but I am still really tired.
I slept past my alarm this morning---the first time since I have been in Ghana. I can tell that I am getting comfortable here. haha
On a sad note. One of my babies seems to be wasting away. His name is Yoa (Yow). I was here his first day in the orphanage and I instantly fell in love with him. He was so unhappy when he came but he is starting to be a little more cheerful. He has these little pouty lips and I can spend hours trying to make him smile. When he first got here he was a little bit chubby (as babies should be). Now his knees are bigger than his thighs and his heels are bigger than his ankles. His face is thinning out and his arms seem like they could break at any moment. When I hold him he clings on so tight that I don't even need to use my arms to hold him up. When I set him down he will cry for hours (not an exaggeration). I have noticed him losing weight and I kept telling the other volunteers but they said that he was ok and that the Aunties would notice if he actually was. Now they notice and when they asked the Aunties about it the aunties told them that he is losing so much weight because we give him too much attention. His is literally wasting away before my eyes and I don't know what to do to stop it.
I found out about one of the little boys Emmanuel. His father is in jail because he used to beat Emmanuel half to death. Sometimes it is easier not to know the stories of these kids but I feel that they need to be heard.
There are two twins named Akoko (yes she has my nickname as a real name) and Aquilly. They were found tied to a tree outside their house. They had developed their own language to communicate to each other but now they barely talk to each other.
I can't write anymore.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Let's Go Home Claire
Just a short update:
This weekend has been about hanging around Accra, I really needed it. Friday night I got stuck out in a rainstorm trying to get a taxi home. Very wet.
Yesterday I went to a football match over at Cantonments (an area of Accra). My friend David is the manager of the football club and a few of my boys happened to show up to the football pitch to watch the game. After the game I said bye to my boys and went to go leave with my roommate Rhona and David. As I was leaving the pitch one of the boys came over to me and just said Claire I am tired lets go home. I just started laughing and said Kwesi (his name) I don't live here yet. I think he was sad that I didn't end up going back to the orphanage but I will see him tomorrow.
Today I spent the day at the pool relaxing, it was needed. I am so excited for the week to start up again. I love the week. That is all for now.
This weekend has been about hanging around Accra, I really needed it. Friday night I got stuck out in a rainstorm trying to get a taxi home. Very wet.
Yesterday I went to a football match over at Cantonments (an area of Accra). My friend David is the manager of the football club and a few of my boys happened to show up to the football pitch to watch the game. After the game I said bye to my boys and went to go leave with my roommate Rhona and David. As I was leaving the pitch one of the boys came over to me and just said Claire I am tired lets go home. I just started laughing and said Kwesi (his name) I don't live here yet. I think he was sad that I didn't end up going back to the orphanage but I will see him tomorrow.
Today I spent the day at the pool relaxing, it was needed. I am so excited for the week to start up again. I love the week. That is all for now.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Been Awhile
I am sorry that I haven't very good about writing lately. I know this may amaze some of you but I just find myself at lack of words. I don't want to repeat myself and I just feel like a lot of what I am doing now is things I have done before. Yet I am still learning something new everyday.
I don't know if I have told all of you but I am not coming home on May 13th. I will actually be home on June 10th. This really is the best thing for me and I hope that you all understand.
Come May 13th I am moving into the orphanage to live with the kids. They have a guest room that I will be living in and they are cutting my price down in half because they like me and don't want me to have to pay the full amount. While I am there I will spend 24/7 with the kids...... That makes me really nervous and so I have been talking to a couple of my friends and they have been telling me that I am going to make sure I still go out and have time for myself. So the plan is that they are going to force me to leave every night even if I say that I don't want to go out--- that way I will have some time to unwind and be with friends.
Another thing is that I am going to have to find my own food. I will be heading straight for the 40 pesewa rice and stew!! I am also a little worried about getting lonely in a room on my own but I have a feeling that the kids are always going to be around. I am very excited but a little nervous at the same time. Everything about this time here in Ghana has been something I have had to adapt to.
I know that a lot of you are wondering about the new supervisor and whether or not I am able to work with the older boys. The good news is that I can still work with the older boys. I talked to Auntie Agnus (one step below the new supervisor) and she told me that not listen to what she said because she doesn't technically take over until the end of June. She also told me that the new supervisor had no idea what she was talking about because Agnus has seen me with the boys and finds that they respect me more than most of the adults at the home.
The past week has brought a lot of painful news that slapped me in the face and reminded me that I am still in Ghana. One of my babies Ado was found HIV positive. I learned that one of the special needs kids was sexually molested by his father before coming to the home. Another one of the babies has started to vomit blood and they have no idea what is wrong with him. I learned that my toddler Efia was raped before she came to the home and is still recovering from her operation that was in October. Victor's sickness is getting worse and they are almost positive that he has liver disease. His feet are so swollen that he can barely walk.
I know that those are just words in an e-mail and it can't even begin to describe the absolute heartache I feel when I think about these things. Each of these children have a unique personality that separates them from the rest. Obviously this is common sense but I don't want you all to forget that. Each child has their individual hidden scars and stories that they just want to move past. Each child has something that they fear and a favorite food. They have hobbies and a favorite color. Some of them are picky eaters and some of them are ADHD. I wish I could show you each of their different personalities but it turns out that there is no way to express it.
I celebrated my graduation of high school yesterday with all of the kids from form 3. They finished exams last Friday and had a party yesterday at the orphanage. There was music and dancing and they told me that this was not only a party for them but for me because I am going to miss my graduation. It was great to meet some of the boys' school friends and they all laughed at me as I tried to dance.
I don't know if I have told all of you but I am not coming home on May 13th. I will actually be home on June 10th. This really is the best thing for me and I hope that you all understand.
Come May 13th I am moving into the orphanage to live with the kids. They have a guest room that I will be living in and they are cutting my price down in half because they like me and don't want me to have to pay the full amount. While I am there I will spend 24/7 with the kids...... That makes me really nervous and so I have been talking to a couple of my friends and they have been telling me that I am going to make sure I still go out and have time for myself. So the plan is that they are going to force me to leave every night even if I say that I don't want to go out--- that way I will have some time to unwind and be with friends.
Another thing is that I am going to have to find my own food. I will be heading straight for the 40 pesewa rice and stew!! I am also a little worried about getting lonely in a room on my own but I have a feeling that the kids are always going to be around. I am very excited but a little nervous at the same time. Everything about this time here in Ghana has been something I have had to adapt to.
I know that a lot of you are wondering about the new supervisor and whether or not I am able to work with the older boys. The good news is that I can still work with the older boys. I talked to Auntie Agnus (one step below the new supervisor) and she told me that not listen to what she said because she doesn't technically take over until the end of June. She also told me that the new supervisor had no idea what she was talking about because Agnus has seen me with the boys and finds that they respect me more than most of the adults at the home.
The past week has brought a lot of painful news that slapped me in the face and reminded me that I am still in Ghana. One of my babies Ado was found HIV positive. I learned that one of the special needs kids was sexually molested by his father before coming to the home. Another one of the babies has started to vomit blood and they have no idea what is wrong with him. I learned that my toddler Efia was raped before she came to the home and is still recovering from her operation that was in October. Victor's sickness is getting worse and they are almost positive that he has liver disease. His feet are so swollen that he can barely walk.
I know that those are just words in an e-mail and it can't even begin to describe the absolute heartache I feel when I think about these things. Each of these children have a unique personality that separates them from the rest. Obviously this is common sense but I don't want you all to forget that. Each child has their individual hidden scars and stories that they just want to move past. Each child has something that they fear and a favorite food. They have hobbies and a favorite color. Some of them are picky eaters and some of them are ADHD. I wish I could show you each of their different personalities but it turns out that there is no way to express it.
I celebrated my graduation of high school yesterday with all of the kids from form 3. They finished exams last Friday and had a party yesterday at the orphanage. There was music and dancing and they told me that this was not only a party for them but for me because I am going to miss my graduation. It was great to meet some of the boys' school friends and they all laughed at me as I tried to dance.
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