Day 7 - God will provide

We have been here 7 days and its been 7 days since:

1. the toilet flushed properly
2. we had electricity for 24 hours continuously
3. dinner didn't contain rice and beans
4. transport was on time
5. hot water was guaranteed

However, compared to the daily life of those we are here to help we are living like kings.

Last night after dinner we spent the evening sorting and making an inventory of all the donations we had brought with us, we unpacked 18 of the 36 suitcases and sorted everything into piles of similar items.  Such a lot of things all of which we know will be gratefully received at the Luchema and Jubilee projects.  The floor of our dining room at Kivu looked like a jumble sale covered in clothes for children and adults, shoes, pens, pencils, play equipment, blowing bubbles, blankets and much more.

Sorting donations

Luchema Children's Home 
At Luchema the day began with morning parade and we sang happy 18th birthday to Oli and Abbie. Progress then continued on the fence with two more cart loads of tree off cuts arriving but we cleared these and so by lunchtime had run out of wood to continue.  It also looks as though there may be no more timber after tomorrow as the timber is expensive and Lumumba, the Project Co-ordinator, has used up all the money so we may not get to finish the fence fully which everyone is gutted about.

The Luchema children sing Happy Birthday to Oli and Abbie

 

Joe and Emily at work - progress on the fence continues

Pre-unit had PE this morning and the children were doing wheelbarrow races organised by Alex and Tom - they loved it and kept chanting "wheelbarrow, wheelbarrow" as they wheeled each other around.

 

Wheelbarrow races during pre-unit PE

We brought all of our donated stationery and sports equipment with us to the project and all the children were given a new pencil so everyone could do the written work today.

 

Cooks of the day, Poppy and Jacki, serving morning tea to the children

We also brought blowing bubbles and great fun was had at playtime chasing the bubbles and playing with the new skipping ropes and Frisbees.

 

Playing with the new skipping ropes

 

 

Chasing after bubbles

 



We had the bonus today of no lessons this afternoon, as the children were enjoying their new play equipment so much the teachers decided they should stay out and play and enjoy the sunshine.  We are all thinking of suggesting this approach to Mr Cooper - if the sun is shining and everyone is chilled at lunchtime then there's no need to make us go in for Period 5.  It seems strange but by 3pm we are all shattered and ready to go back to Kivu, working in hot classrooms and doing physical work in this heat is tiring.  The children are noticeably more lethargic in the afternoon and some do fall asleep.

Jubilee Project
Having wedged the children and our gifts for Jubilee onto the smallest possible bus we headed out to the tune of gangsters paradise in good spirits.  As usual we were greeted with our welcome song before an additional group visit to the new toilets to show the children it was safe to use them (could that be due to the previous incident of the locked in child yesterday).

The children visiting the new toilets

Having opened the bursting wheelie case with more pencils, exercise books, stationery than WH Smith, Susan became very excited over a set of exercise books.  Very quickly all three classes were given a new exercise book and pencil to huge cheers and excitement which was only rivalled when Sue showed the older class a rugby ball.

Primary class with their new exercise books

By the time all of the children had written their names on their new books it was time for breaktime and out came the bubbles, rugby ball, balloons and skipping ropes all of which entertained 100 children merrily for an hour.

Playing with the bubbles at breaktime

 

 

Mr Hill playing rugby with the big boys and their new ball

Miss Sibley was the first person to test out the new long drop toilets and was most impressed by the interior styling and décor as she couldn't find a toilet brush.



Miss Sibley - first to try out the new toilets

Painting continued and the painters worked really hard but definitely had more on themselves than the first group.  After the excitement of the morning it was a return to lessons with plenty of marking to do.  Its a long day for the youngest children some of which fell asleep on their desks.

 

The painting team

 



 

Tom marking students work

After project work finished
Whilst most people took the good afternoon weather as an opportunity for a dip in the pool at Kivu, 6 students plus Mr Hill and Mr Hodges took the opportunity to train and play football with the local football team.  Informed that this was a good pitch we found a wonky, bobbly over grown pitch with numerous obstacles left by the local cow (who were the spectators).  After a close 1-1 draw it was decided by a penalty shoot out.  Four in the losing team had to do two laps of the pitch as a punishment.  

The football players

A group of children watched our every skilful move, one sporting a Leicester City top.  After a parting disco song we were then mobbed in our bus like superstars as we left.

 

Mr Hill and Tom with the Leicester City boy

After dinner we celebrated Abbie and Oli's 18th Birthdays in style with cake and a fruit platter plus the bonus of ice cream as a treat for the occasion.

Oli and Abbie celebrate their 18th birthdays