Jaco thought it would be beneficial for some of the World Racers to stay at the orphanage at Tamane to play with and give some attention to the orphans. The 24 kids were orphaned due to parents dying from AIDS or from parents leaving. I decided to buy a straw mat for about $1 so I could sleep under the tarp like the kids at Tamane do every night. I only took the one outfit I was wearing, my sleeping bag, and a sewing kit.
We drove through the bush down a long dirt path and arrived to find the orphans once again in 2 straight lines singing, “We are Happy to be Together.” After their song we learned their names and ages. They were very serious and stiff in their 2 straight lines, so we started joking around with them and then taught them to whistle with grass. Finally they started to open up and show some smiles.
Once we had moved our stuff under the tarp, we gathered the kids to pass out clothing. Each child received a used outfit of warm clothing. When one little boy received his clothing he could not contain his smile-it filled his whole face as he held up a pair of jeans. As soon as all of the clothing was passed out the kids scrambled to try on the new outfits. They have no privacy for changing. The boys are on one side and girls on the other, but they have to change in front of each other as there is not divider. The bathroom does not provide much privacy either. When we asked where the bathroom was we were pointed to the bushes. There is not even a designated hole for the children to use. Knowing that I was only going to be staying for 2 days I was able to put up with the lack of privacy, but if I had to stay longer I would have really missed having a space to call my own.
The two women, Isabelle and Zaura, that work with the children (for no salary) cooked dinner over the fire. The meal consisted of beans and mealy pop, which is kind of like cream of wheat with no flavor; it is made out of corn. Two kids shared one plate and used their fingers to scoop up the sticky substance. I know that I would have a hard time sharing my dinner and would probably get mad if my dinner partner ate too much. The kids sat around the fire in the dirt for warmth and light. It gets dark around 5:30 pm so the fire becomes the gathering place. Some people call the fire, “Bush TV.”
After dinner the kids graced us with amazing singing and dancing. I love the sound of their feet pounding on the packed dirt. We taught them the “Ah Tootie Taht” song and the, “Chicken Dance” song. While the singing was still going on around the fire, Luci sat down next to me. I started rubbing her back and within minutes she was asleep on my lap. A few minutes later Flor joined my other side, so I started rubbing her back to have her fall asleep on my lap too. Eventually a third girl joined the pile and before long she was sleeping too. With the three girls on my lap as I sat in the dirt, my legs also fell asleep.
At 8:00 sharp the kids were told to go to bed. They sleep on straw mats and share one layer of blanket. I went around to every girl to tuck them in then took my place on my straw mat. I was awakened by coughing to find that the girls on either side of me had snuggled up close to me. I would like to think they were snuggling because they like me, but I am pretty sure it was mostly for warmth. Before we brought the blankets and mats for the orphans they were sleeping on the dirt floor with no blanket. I was cold in my sleeping bag on my mat; I have no idea how they were able to sleep before they had blankets and mats.
I kept waking up through the night because of the hard ground and the cold temperatures. One little girl, Flor, has such a bloated little belly compared to her small body. She left the tent about 8 times crying because she had to vomit. It was the scariest noise I have ever heard coming from a child. The sound was very guttural like air was being forced out of her belly.
As I lay awake through the night I realized what a rough start to life these children have had. Previously as I thought about working with orphans I pictured a building with children that I could play with and love for a little while. The reality of their lives is not pretty. Flor spent the whole night crying and vomiting without a mother to care for her, she may eventually die to the lack of medical attention. Without Jaco’s gift of blankets the other children would not have slept due to the cold. It is easy for me to swoop in for 2 days to play with the children, teach them songs, and rub their backs. What a small thing. The children really need more people like Jaco, Isabelle, and Zaura; they are there for the children on a consistent basis through the cold and sickness. If you are interested you could send financial support to Jaco. He would like to pay Isabelle and Zaura for their hard work, construct a building, and provide better clothing and food for the children.
Jaco’s e-mail address is: [email protected]
Jaco’s web-site is: www.mozambique-orphans.co.za
