I am so tired right now.. actually quite drained from the past few days.
Yesterday we went to a center which cares for those with HIV AIDS. Colin, Mia and I climbed into this old-school VW campervan-shaped minibus which was reeeally run down and falling apart haha. We were taken to a shack in the middle of a village where people can be checked and treated for HIV. When we got there I felt really frail.. I was overheating in the minibus so much so that if we wouldnt have arrived at the shack right there and then I would have had to amble out to get some fresh air. Then I got really cold.. I had goose pimples all over my body. It was not fun. We didnt stay at the shack long before we were told that we would be going on home visits and were told to jump into a Land Rover.... The roads are not roads.. they are very uneven dirt tracks.. not good for the belly when you feel rough already...
The first lady we visited was really weak.. she just stared into space with no sparkle in her eyes at all.. it was as if she had just given up. We all squeezed into this tiny concrete box, which she called home, and watched as she undressed and the Doctor who we went with checked her out. I know we were there to help but I really felt helpless at that moment in time.. how must it feel suffering from HIV and having three big white people, who you cant understand or communicate to, just come in and stare at you whilst you sit there half naked being examined. I know it is good to see what the guys here do and its educational to see.. but to me it just felt to invasive.
On the way to the next home visit my stomach was doing somersaults as we were being thrown around on the bumpy off-road drive and.. you guessed it.. i had to quickly grab a bag and throw up in the car... attractiiiiiiiiiive!! I dont know why I was so sick.. Im hardly ever sick... but half of the team have been sick already so I guess it was just my time.. I sure the lack of sleep, new environment and hectic drive did not help..... but dont fret you scrumptious people I am fine now.. in fact as soon as I was sick I felt much better and just sat in the shade in awe of the absolutely beautiful untouched surroundings, whilst the others visited a guy who was so weak from HIV he could not walk and had a huge gash on his head from falling. Very very sad.
In the afternoon we went back to the shack and counted out the STACK of pills which the people infected had to take on a daily basis and we helped record all the data of the people registered. Reading the records was heartbreaking. One guys said he was desperate to go now and has been sorting out funeral arrangements...
Today we helped at St baranabus school which is a bit more established in comparison to the Good Will school I previously wrote an appeal for. Most of the children there are sponsored by Hope from the slums. They have such a range of abilities in one class... some have amazing english and reading schools and others cant even understand simple ABC. The place really lacks structure and there seriously is not enough teachers to manage the large classes.. the teachers just give them a topic and then leave them to it!..the kids just go crazy in the lessons, running about doing their own thing. They fight quite a bit.. even the girls are well fisty! Some were throwing bricks at each other!! They were just climbing over me and Colin.. I had about 3 kids hanging off each arm and others jumping over my back etc haha its quite exhausting!. and of course as soon as you get the camera out they go wild for it!
The first class I sat in with were learning about child abuse and talking about their experiences and I swear every one of them had experienced something horrific... one kids dad had been kidnapped and doesnt know where he is to this day.. anothers grandma was beaten in front of him.. another saw a women being beaten, covered in petrol and burnt.. others had stories of rape.. oh my gosh I just wanted to cry there and then.. we are so wrapped up in cotton wool in england... no wonder the kids here are so streetwise and aggressive
We had great fun the afternoon playing games... the okecoky and the conga etc.. trying to remember all the games I used to play as a kid.. I dont know where the teachers went.. we just had loads of kids to entertain all of a sudden haha
So yeah.. Im pretty tired now... ready for a safari weekend with the team.. should be fun!
Hope you are all ok and are following this alright
x love to you all x miss uuuuuuuuuuuuuu xx
Yesterday we went to a center which cares for those with HIV AIDS. Colin, Mia and I climbed into this old-school VW campervan-shaped minibus which was reeeally run down and falling apart haha. We were taken to a shack in the middle of a village where people can be checked and treated for HIV. When we got there I felt really frail.. I was overheating in the minibus so much so that if we wouldnt have arrived at the shack right there and then I would have had to amble out to get some fresh air. Then I got really cold.. I had goose pimples all over my body. It was not fun. We didnt stay at the shack long before we were told that we would be going on home visits and were told to jump into a Land Rover.... The roads are not roads.. they are very uneven dirt tracks.. not good for the belly when you feel rough already...
The first lady we visited was really weak.. she just stared into space with no sparkle in her eyes at all.. it was as if she had just given up. We all squeezed into this tiny concrete box, which she called home, and watched as she undressed and the Doctor who we went with checked her out. I know we were there to help but I really felt helpless at that moment in time.. how must it feel suffering from HIV and having three big white people, who you cant understand or communicate to, just come in and stare at you whilst you sit there half naked being examined. I know it is good to see what the guys here do and its educational to see.. but to me it just felt to invasive.
On the way to the next home visit my stomach was doing somersaults as we were being thrown around on the bumpy off-road drive and.. you guessed it.. i had to quickly grab a bag and throw up in the car... attractiiiiiiiiiive!! I dont know why I was so sick.. Im hardly ever sick... but half of the team have been sick already so I guess it was just my time.. I sure the lack of sleep, new environment and hectic drive did not help..... but dont fret you scrumptious people I am fine now.. in fact as soon as I was sick I felt much better and just sat in the shade in awe of the absolutely beautiful untouched surroundings, whilst the others visited a guy who was so weak from HIV he could not walk and had a huge gash on his head from falling. Very very sad.
In the afternoon we went back to the shack and counted out the STACK of pills which the people infected had to take on a daily basis and we helped record all the data of the people registered. Reading the records was heartbreaking. One guys said he was desperate to go now and has been sorting out funeral arrangements...
Today we helped at St baranabus school which is a bit more established in comparison to the Good Will school I previously wrote an appeal for. Most of the children there are sponsored by Hope from the slums. They have such a range of abilities in one class... some have amazing english and reading schools and others cant even understand simple ABC. The place really lacks structure and there seriously is not enough teachers to manage the large classes.. the teachers just give them a topic and then leave them to it!..the kids just go crazy in the lessons, running about doing their own thing. They fight quite a bit.. even the girls are well fisty! Some were throwing bricks at each other!! They were just climbing over me and Colin.. I had about 3 kids hanging off each arm and others jumping over my back etc haha its quite exhausting!. and of course as soon as you get the camera out they go wild for it!The first class I sat in with were learning about child abuse and talking about their experiences and I swear every one of them had experienced something horrific... one kids dad had been kidnapped and doesnt know where he is to this day.. anothers grandma was beaten in front of him.. another saw a women being beaten, covered in petrol and burnt.. others had stories of rape.. oh my gosh I just wanted to cry there and then.. we are so wrapped up in cotton wool in england... no wonder the kids here are so streetwise and aggressive
We had great fun the afternoon playing games... the okecoky and the conga etc.. trying to remember all the games I used to play as a kid.. I dont know where the teachers went.. we just had loads of kids to entertain all of a sudden haha
So yeah.. Im pretty tired now... ready for a safari weekend with the team.. should be fun!
Hope you are all ok and are following this alright
x love to you all x miss uuuuuuuuuuuuuu xx
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