The most beautiful kids

I am now going to bring you up to running speed on the Orphanage.
Having spent two weeks there already, it seems appropriate to comment.

I should add that I havent spent two WHOLE weeks there, as last week I had a stomach infection, meaning I was throwing up, and lots out the other end too...think I caught this off the kids, as there had been a few of them who'd been off their food. One especially - she also had a temperature, and just wouldn't touch any food at all.
We'd been trying to persuade the "aunties" to take her to see a Dr. As one of the sad things is that out of all the 0-2 yr olds, they only know for definite with 2 of them that they are HIV +. Many more could be, which means the slightest infection/illness could be awful.

But what is really sad is that taking a child to the doctor is expensive, same as seeking any sort of medical help, as you have to pay for everything.

I'd hate to be in the Aunties position - as they have probably had to go through a lot of emotion, seeing children come and go, in both ways. But they are very ill educated in how to deal with the children considering what they have been from.
For example, when one case of abandonment saw a child found in a house alone eating his faeces to survive - it is no wonder that many of the children are exceedingly possessive, break into unconsolable tantrums.
However, the aunties way of dealing with this is roughly throwing a child into a cot, even beating them to tell them their act is immoral.

There are so many children that just need love. If I could adopt then I would. My two weeks has been spent cuddling babies, and feeding them at lunchtime. Its a wonderful feeling to know that you can give a child something that they long for. Its heartbreaking to know that you can't give it to them permanently.

I am now going to the 2-5yr olds, where most of my time is going to be spent playing, and helping teach basics to them (i.e. ABC, and 123) as they learn to read...it was fantastic to day...and I even got to teach them the "marching song" Siyahamba!

The class I was with were learning to write their names, with neat handwriting, and some of them were really struggling. So I introduced dotted writing, where they join the dots. It was fantastic to see this boy, who just had been fretting so much, smile at being able to produce this neat work!

They are keen on story telling - "aunti Kat, can you tell us a story" so am gonna bring in the Mister Men books tomoz!

xxx