Back to our New Reality

Time to settle up our bill and move on! As we paid up, the manager handed us the dirtiest two kwacha bill you could possibly imagine! haha!  Here we are bringing the crispiest US dollars that we can find only to be given the filthiest of kwacha in return. (If I was an African, I would set up a stand selling hand sanitizers to tourists).  Time to load up the van and get back to work.

We did take a little side trip on our way back home.  Linda and I had been in contact with our cousin Robin, whose foundation supports over 30 schools in Kafue through the Room to Read program.  Not only did we drive through Kafue, but we saw a sign for Room to Read and drove on in.  It turns out it was the office for the program, and they had gone home for the day, but the guard let us take a peak behind the metal door and take some pictures.  It was very cool to be able to make the connection between what Robin does and what we were seeing.

 

After our 8 hour ride back on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (where we saw our 3rd flipped over truck since we have been here - roads are not too good here and the ditches next to them are even worse) we are back to our new reality, the House of Moses. The house is not named after Moses in the Bible, but they had their first infants lined up for their new found orphanage, and Moses was one of them. Unfortunately, he died in the night and never got the chance to live here, the House of Moses was named after him.  

Saturday at the house of Moses, is like any other day.  All work here is centered around the children. While half of our group headed out to shop for those items to big to carry here, the rest headed up to the nursery.  

This is not a run-of-the-mill orphanage, the House of Moses takes the children who are considered at-risk (either because of their health or their home situation).  That means that the staff here faces the potential heartbreak of a child dying here everyday.  While we were here, Joshua passed during the night.  We were all a bit stunned, and very saddened, but it is the unfortunate reality that the staff here must deal with.  The property walls are topped with broken glass shards and barbed razor wire, the doors are locked and a guard is posted outside - all to protect the little ones.  (Note that we are not allowed to post any pictures of children from the orphanages on the internet for their protection- we do have some great pictures and hope to share some of our favorites with folks back home the old fashioned way - by powerpoint...hahaha).

The nurse here prepares bottles of varying amounts and mixtures and passes out the bottles and the babies.  It is great to look into their eyes, and give them that nourishment that they need.  After lunch , they are full a of smiles and gurgles and gas! 

From there we moved down into the toddler room, and turned a nice calm room into the bedlam of toys, kids and cooing adults.

When the shoppers returned we filled the table with the the gifts that we are donating to the houses-shoes, socks, blankets, and three deluxe walkers!  We cannot wait to put them together and load them up with babies!