Today was a lovely day off - and i took the opportunity to join an outreach team to a local orphanage - 'missionaries of charity'. pouring love and fun play onto 25 orphaned kids of various ages. we sang songs, had a story, played with the bubbles and balloons that we brought with us, helped with lunchtime and feeding and generally got involved with the wonderful job that the 'Tata's' are doing. Not too sure what the word tata means, but that is what the people who work there were called - amd we were called it too!! there was also a house for sick children at the orphanage and i saw for the first time since ive been here severly malnourished kiddies - too weak to even suckle at their mothers breast; smaller than newborns but are actually 4/5/6 months old. [the kiddies on the feeding programme on the ship are rather plump compared to these precious ones.]
on the return journey we brought one of the mothers of the sick children back with us, to have an appointment with the ship doctor. she was in the back of the landrover with myself and 2 others. it was bumpy on unmade roads and the rain was chucking down - (its rainy season). anyways soon into the beginning of the journey i felt a hand slowly working its way over my knee - the mamma was scared and looked petrified, so i took her hand in mine and we survived the 10 min journey back to the africa mercy. All she needed was a bit of reassurance and all was well again! I'm sure she touched me far more with her actions, than i did with mine...
Its good to hear that you are doing well. x
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