I've finally met the children of Sidai! This morning Steph and I walked the 15 minutes to the orphanage and were greeted by Antony, who is the son of Lucy, who founded the orphanage 8 years ago. Antony took us inside the tin structure and showed us the kitchen (pots over a fire), the classroom, the office, and his bedroom. He then took us on a 15-minute walk to another building which is where the children sleep at night. There is a small kitchen, bathroom, and one room with about 4 bunks beds (3 beds in each bunk) for the boys, and another room with the same for the girls. Lucy has a bedroom where the food is kept, which is locked during the day so the kids cannot take any of the food when they are not supposed to. The children had been living at the orphanage, but the orphanage was threatened to be burnt down along with the rest of the slum last January when the political violence was occurring. A volunteer relocated them in this building outside of the slum so they were safe, and they are also away from the dangers of the slum at night.

We then walked back to the orphanage, passing garbage dumps with children picking through the trash in barefeet. It was truly heartbreaking. I had to breathe through my mouth most of the time or else would gag, which I did a few times. At the orphanage, the children were all milling around and were very curious. They would stare at us, and once I smiled at them, they would immediately smile back and get excited. They were unlike the children that we would pass on the street, who would eagerly call out to us saying "how are you??" These children were a bit more reserved but once I sat and talked with them, they quickly chatted away. Their ages ranged from 9 months to about 15 years old. Some of the children living there were displaced during the political violence that happened last January. It is sobering to think that they don't know where their parents are because they were forced to flee during the violence. A few of the kids are HIV positive, and others have been sick with ringworm and typhoid.

I first sat with Jack, a 12-year old who is very good at beading. He showed me the necklace he was working on and taught me how to do it, and in no time we finished a black and white beaded necklace which I am now wearing. He was excited to put it on me. I also met James, Jacob and Joseph. I asked if they could sing me a song, and once they started singing, a crowd of about 12 kids gathered around us and joined in. I was surrounded by these precious children who were so happy amidst the worst conditions I have ever seen, and sang a song that brought tears to my eyes. I had to fight so hard not to cry. The words were "Someday, I'm gonna be, all I'm gonna be. God said it, and I believe it, and some day, I'm gonna be, all I'm gonna be." They have such joy while they have nothing, not even parents. It is hard to think that I have been so blessed to know and have memories of all 4 great-grandparents, all 4 grandparents, and have both parents that love and support me.

After the kids were served lunch, we walked to the field outside the slum and played soccer! This was something I was really hoping we could do. We had a great time, though I'm really out of shape. When I asked the kids if they play "football", they were so excited to hear that I liked to play and couldn't wait to play with me. We used 2 big rocks as the goals (you had to hit the rock with the ball to score). It was such a different scene than the green, lush soccer fields that I grew up playing on. This was a brown, dusty piece of land with holes and bumps. There was a man laying off to the side, probably sleeping off his binge the night before. We just dribbled around him.

Drugs and alcohol are rampant in Ngong, and Steph and I have already encountered one drunk man earlier this morning outside the orphanage. Antony said it's hard to shield the kids from the horrors of the slum. Drunk men will yell and look inside the windows and say abusive things, and the kids, like all kids do, will later repeat the words they heard. We saw kids playing in the alley with used batteries, nails, and other things that they find and turn into toys. No Barbie dolls or bikes or Nintendo here. Yet the kids still smile and have fun with each other.

Antony is a true blessing to the children. He began working at Sidai when Global Volunteer Network began sending volunteers to the orphanage last year. His Mom was having a hard time communicating with the volunteers as she does not speak English, so he moved to Sidai to help. It is clearly evident that he loves the children so much. He says how even though these children are from the street, they are still human beings and need to be loved. At one point he commented that he has hope that things will be better one day. He truly believes that. When I look at the situation and all that they need but don't have, it feels overwhelming and I find that it is hard for me to have hope.

We talked a lot with Antony about what the orphanage needs. The children make beaded necklaces and bracelets to sell, and one volunteer was taking them back to the UK with her, sold them, and sent the money back to the orphanage. This had been good income for a while, but the volunteer is now back in Ngong so she is not doing it anymore. It made me think of Ten Thousand Villages and wondered if something could be set up with them. Antony said that while sporadic donations and help from volunteers is wonderful, they are in desperate need of a permanent donor so they don't have to wonder how they will get money for rent, food, etc. One volunteer has paid their rent through October, but after that, Antony is not sure what they will do.

It has been an eye-opener of a day. I have never experienced anything like what I saw today.

Until next time...

-Kristin