St Jude's Orphanage

Today we visited St Jude's Orphanage for our introduction visit.  We were shown around and introduced to some of the children.  There are 97 orphans from newborn to 16.  There is also a separate section for special needs children.  There are 52 special needs (disabled) children taken care of by 6 mothers.  There are an additional 27 disabled children placed in homes in the community and the families get a small stipend for caring for them.  The orphanage runs a kindergarten for the surrounding community with 250 children, and a primary school with 350 children.  As you can see, our hands are going to be full, and we are going to be surrounded by these wonderful children!

Julius Peter Oola is the program manager.  He was very accomodating and excited to have us there to help.  they actually lost their accountant a few months ago and will be using my accounting skills.  They have quickbooks, but don't know how to use it, and it just happens that Quickbooks is my specialty!  How awesome is that?  This orphanage has to government support and relies solely on donations, and the donations are random and sparse these days with the recession.  I would love find a big source of donations for the orphange.  If any of you want to donate, let me know, and I will tell you how to get your money into the hands of Julius who has so many things he needs to provide for these children.  I wish I could win the lottery and just give all the money to places like this.  There is so much need everywhere we go....

Julius Peter Oola, Kayla, I and a teacher

It was about a 15 minute drive to the orphanage.  I think it might take an hour to walk there.  I'm not sure if we will drive there, walk there, or ride the boda bodas (fast motorcycle taxis).  Although we have been warned to stay off the boda boda due to too many head injuries.  I wouldn't mind walking occasionally, but it is the dry, hot season right now. 

My beautiful daughter, Kayla

Both Kayla and I woke up at 3 am this morning, and I got a headache later in the day.  It is so wonderful that life has slowed down enough to lay down and take a nap. We watched "War Dance" last night with Frederick.  He had never seen this movie about the war and it was very sad.  I highly recommend this movie if you want to know more about where I am and what these people have been through the last 20 years.  It is sooo good.  Rent it and watch it. It's about this very place we are in.

"The war stole everything, except their music"  WAR DANCE 

I have solved Kayla's problem of taking very long, hot showers.  We have no hot water, so you get in and then get out quickly! The cool shower actually feels refreshing, which is a huge change for me because I LOVE my hot showers too!  The other thing I struggle with is the mosquitos at night.  We need our windows open for the cool air, but the mosquitos get in.  We sleep under the nets, but until bedtime, we swat them away.  At first, Kayla was on doxycycline for malaria, but the pills kept making her nauseous.  Later, we found out that doxy will not stop the strain of malaria that the mosquitos carry here, so we have both switched to Malarone, a better anti-malaria medicine.  We are taking a few more days to settle, then we will begin our work at the orphanage.  I will keep you posted.