Yesterday we visited the D.C. We were not planning to go but decided we should. Upon our arrival we found a nursery school using our building. The building was a mess with a lot of dirt on the floor. The cooks had been told that the nursery school was to use the large room while we were permitted use of the smaller room. This made me angry since I’d been led to believe that the whole building was to be used for the orphans. I asked if I was only to occupy 1/3 of the space why was I to pay such a large amount for restoration of the building. I was told that the parents of the nursery school children had paid a small fee already for upkeep of the building. After some discussion it was decided that the nursery school children would find another spot to do their work. I feel somewhat bad about this as the place is meant to be used by the community. My concern though is that the place was left in quite a mess. I am also not sure if I can trust the nursery school workers to leave our food alone. Will they take what is not theirs?

I was also surprised by the amount of oil and beans the cooks are using. We brought them oil which we thought would last for 2 months and already, after less than one week, the oil is almost ½ done. I spoke to them about using less and explained that the food is meant to last for a long time. I poured one week’s supply of oil into my small water bottle and left that with them for use for the rest of the week.

Today we returned. I was pleased to see they had used less oil and beans.

I was able to have a bit of conversation with some of the children. I was standing just outside and I heard them singing and playing. When I went in, they continued to sing and play. In the past, they would have stopped upon my arrival. This time I was pleased to see that they continued. I recorded them with the video camera and showed them. They loved that. Yesterday I gave them some bubbles. They laughed and played for a long time. Today I saw that they have more bubbles. I’m not sure how they got more but they weren’t shy about showing me how good they now are at blowing them.

I need to learn to say “Do you like” because I found our conversations limited today. I guessed which grade they were in and told them that I teach “standard” 1. They laughed with me and tried their best to talk to me.

The cooks too came to talk to me. They told me I looked sad. They showed concern. I found that very touching.

The Chairperson of the CBO (Community Based Organization) agreed that I should pay for reconnection of water and K7200 in lieu of rent. The money was to pay for finishing touches on the building such as glass and filling in of holes. I also agreed to pay for finishing construction of the kitchen which means putting on a roof. Today the boy who is building the kitchen and toilet came and told me that he had been told I’d pay for all of his work. This was far more than I had agreed to pay. I don’t know what is happening in terms of who is to pay for construction of toilets but I was never told that all the cost would fall to me. One thing I know for sure is that I need to install a door with a lock in the building so that our things are secure while the nursery children are there.

I bought 1.5kg of beef today for K750 which is about $5.00. Tomorrow’s lunch of vegetables, rice and beef for 9 children will cost about K1100 which is about $8.50. Eggs and bread for Friday’s breakfast will cost about K620 or about $4.50.

Start up costs are greater than I’d anticipated but the food costs seem to be as expected. Of course I didn’t factor in the need for salt and sugar and such high quantities.

Tags: africa, itatu, itatu orphan care, malawi, orphan care

Share This:

On Friday we visited to Day Care again. We arrived at about 1 pm, well after the children should have been gone home but all of them were still there. The two boys were outside playing football while the girlsl were inside getting help with their homework. I was so happy to see that the cooks were totally engaged in helping the girls with their homework. They barely took notice of us.

The children were still shy of me. They moved off the mat as soon as I came in but when I took their “snaps” they rushed over to see them on the camera. Mabvuto took a picture of this which I think I would like to have.

As I write this, I am in Mabvuto’s house and there is a chicken wandering near my feet. How odd it is that I am now getting used to chickens inside. I will be sleeping here tonight and bathing in a bucket tomorrow morning.

At the Day Care one girl came late. She had been at the hospital receiving her ARVs for AIDS. As it turns out her parents died of AIDS and not TB as her grandmother had previously told me. I suspected that many of the caregivers were not honest with me about how the children became orphaned.

Last night I spoke with a girl who has ow lived in Malawi for 3 years. She is from Pennsylvania and came here with a university prof to do a semester of development work.. She now lives in a mud house which she built herself and is planning to marry a Malawian. It seems like everything is relative. I am struggling with the conditions at the guest house – one burner working on the hot plate, no fridge, dirty toilet, cold nights and a strange smell., while she is living in a mud house which she built and is carrying her own maize and beans. I guess I’ve only been here for 2 weeks. Maybe soon I’ll adjust. I know that I will since I’ve already gotten used to some things like the plain white rice and hard boiled eggs, the washing of dishes and clothes in a bucket and the constant waiting for transport.

I am getting frustrated and worried about money. I was told that I wouldn’t have to pay rent for the building we are using for the orphans. I was told that If I paid K10000 (About $80) I could use the place for free. The money I was to pay was to be used for improvements to the building such as putting glass in the windows and filling some holes in the walls. When I went on Friday I was asked to pay that money plus pay for the finishing of the outdoor kitchen and toilet. This will cost at least $100 more. I did tell her that I will talk to someone about the cost of the kitchen but that I was told that the toilet would be done before I arrived and was not my responsibility. They try to get as much money out of me as they can. I understand that they are poor and are only trying to make a living but does it always have to come from me? The social welfare worker insisted that he should be present when I did the interviews for the cooks. I was not upset by his presence even though he was quite insulting in the way he invited himself. He presented it as if we had been rude in not including him when truly we didn’t know we were supposed to invite him. After he came, he asked me to give him an “allowance” for his time. I told him that I didn’t think paying him was my responsibility since he is a government employee and this is clearly part of his duty (as he’d so clearly pointed out to me earlier). He was gracious when I said no to him but four days later called Mabvuto and told him that his Canadian friend was not good and that I should have paid him for his time.

I am getting more used to saying “NO” to people. I knew I’d have to say that quite often. I know the reason for their asking; they think all mzungus are wealthy and can just give their money away. It is part of their culture to take whaever money they can from people they don’t know well. They even do it to each other.

Tomorrow I’ll go back to the day care. I’ve hired a carpenter to make table and chairs for about $80. I’ll soon bring the paints for the children to begin working on thank you cards.

Tags: africa, itatu, itatu orphan care, malawi, orphan care

Share This:

Today we visited the Day Care centre for lunch. We intended to go for breakfast but we couldn’t find transport to get us there one time. Apparently the children came at 6 o’clock this morning. They ate porridge made from ground maize. At lunch they ate bread and tea with beans and the staple food nsima (also made from ground maize).

I was able to distribute the clothes to the children at lunch time. Some of the skirts I brought were too short as Malawian girls wear skirts at about knee length. The children are much larger than I had anticipated. Two girls are small, about the size of an 7 year old in Canada. The other girls are quite tall, some are taller than I am. The boys are also tall but all are quite thin.

We have now bought more serving bowls and one more plate. We have yet to buy a food warmer, a basket to hold the ground maize flour and some furniture for the place.

Today the children also ate vegetables including tomatoes, onions and greens (rapiea?) which cost about $150 for the nine children.

Some things I have bought so far are:

• Toothpaste @ $110
• Bar of soap @ $0.40
• Spoons @ $0.15 each
• Bowls @ 0.35 each
• A bunch of small bananas @ $0.20
• Notebooks @ $0.10
• Pencils @$0.10

The estimated cost of firewood is $20 for a month. Meat once a week should cost us about $20 a month.

The children seemed more relaxed today but are still didn’t speak to me. I feel shy around them too. I don’t know what they are thinking. Malawians tend not to express emotion which I find very frustrating.

Tomorrow I will go back to the D.C and say “hello”. On Monday we will begin to build a pen for the 30 chickens we will buy. 30 chickens for laying eggs will cost about $20 and will provide at least one egg a day for each child as well as some eggs to sell at the market. The sale of the eggs will raise money for firewood.

Things are coming together.

Tags: africa, itatu, itatu orphan care, malawi, orphan care

Share This: