The Orphanage

The 27th was my first day at the orphanage.

Still not adapted to the noise I was once again woken up by the mosque. Today fresh watermelon was served with breakfast, and then it was off to the orphanage. It is a long journey to get to Upendo Face, about a 30 minute walk through the city, then a 15 minute dala dala (minibus) ride, then another 10 minute walk to get to the orphanage. Dala dalas are quite the experience, they consist of a driver and a person to take money and corall people to his specific bus. They aren't all entirely trustworthy, and will try to shortchange you if possible. As many people as possible will be crammed in, sitting, standing, hanging off the back, sometimes as many as 20-25 people per bus. Drivers are reckless and generally there are religious slogans on the bus, such as "work hard pray hard" or sometimes images of the pope. The buses themselves are generally falling apart, and are painted in vibrant colours. The 15 minute ride we take costs about 500 tsh one way. Upon arriving to the orphanage children flock to the volunteers, demanding to be picked up. After storing our packs in the office it's time to play with the orphans. Games include soccer, jump rope or just running around. Soon, we all gather in a circle holding hands and sing for a few minutes, then it's off to class. I was helping out in class three, the class second to the top, with children mostly aged 5 and 6. We teach the children English, as well as letters and numbers. Most of them are at the point where they can write their names. The basic Swahili to interact with the children is a steep learning curve, but it is coming easier with time. There is an hour long break at 11:00, then one more hour of class. After this we help the children wash up, and serve them lunch, usually rice with a spicy sauce. After playing for another little while, we gather in a circle again, and sing, then it is time to leave. After the long journey home we hang out at the house until dinner, more Tanzanian pancakes with a stew. I am exhausted after the days work, so after watching the nights kill ball game, I go to bed.