SOS Childrens Village Francistown
At last we have our website going! It has beeen taking us ½ hour to open one e mail!
We have now been here 3 weeks, living in SOS Francistown. The SOS villages are the inspiration of a Dane and are now all over the world. Orphans I am sure in the past have been cared for by the extended family in Africa but now with HIV many do not have that chance. Still this is not like the Dickensian orphanages you hear of in Romania or Korea, it is such a happy place. While housing, feeding and educating 230 children ought to need the infrastructure of the British Army, instead here, in the African way it all seems to happen with not so much as a raised voice and with a lot of laughter. The children live in family groups of up to 14 with 2 mothers and they stay with this group until at 18 they go to the youth house, where they learn to fend for themselves. It is quite beyond jane of the jungle’s master of domestic chaos to even imagine how you look after 14 children, dole out medication for the sick ones from 5 in the morning, spoon feed little babies, cook 3 meals for 16 and remain sane! The children accept their domestic chores and keep their rooms spotless. You see I should have gone for lessons! In contrast to being miserable there are constant games of soccer, wire car making and dancing going on and people often burst into song.
As a volunteer you have to define for yourself what is useful, as they of course function really well without you. They think Joe of the Jungle has been sent by God to do all the repairs that have overwhelmed the 6ft 4 Matabele who does the maintenance, as there is a constant source of repairs from cars to bikes to school tables and lawn mowers. So for the present he has put aside his assegai and is up to his armpits in nuts and bolts. Joe OTJ has been very disappointed not to have the chance to wear his leopard skin leotard he had been wearing in the macas practicing his high swings and yodelling while supposedly harvesting. Most men of any distinction in Gaberone wore dark suits and shades and drove Mercedes. Perhaps when we go to the Game park.
In the absence of a nurse here I have taken that role which is a little clinical work and supervising the mothers. I run exercise classes which are a lot of fun as most of the women are bigger than me and they have a good laugh at my attempts at traditional dancing. I have been doing teaching for the adolescents, safe sex being a life or death issue here. There are 32 children with HIV. Fortunately the Bill Gtaes foundation in funding a very effective treatment program so most of them are very well on their antiretroviral. Their stories are very sad, having lost both parents to HIV, then developing malnutrition followed by recurrent infections and often TB before getting frank AIDS. Here on regular medication and good food and care they thrive. During my time in Gaberone I did spent some time in hospital which was educative but very sad so many young people with Aids with TB, cryptococcal meningitis or pneumocystis pneumonia. That aside the staff here support very happy normal children who thrive in this place and become quite impressive young people.
Our time in Europe was as always special. Sadly too short to catch up with friends but great to see family in England and to visit Kate in Spain where Marcus family soon felt like close friends. Joe and I knew that Mary, Joes mum, was dying, so saying goodbye was hard. She faded away gently like a flower and died 2 days after we arrived in Botswana. Joe went back to England and joined all her family in saying farewell. A long and dignified life. We will miss her.
Marcus and Kate and my sister Cath are hoping to join us for a few weeks while we are in Zambia. On safari with Joe of the Jungle this weekend we are off to the bush. We save funds by camping which seems very trepidations as the tent feels very flimsy against the lions, elephants and dinosaurs lurking out there. Last time we shook all night only to find our camp marauder was a donkey. Joe of the jungle did not go forth with his assegai but joined Jane hiding in the sleeping bag.
Love to all.
