Beginning to realise

Hi everyone, I’m beginning to realise that I am living in Africa! It may seem obvious to you, but to me it has seemed unreal for most of the time.

I am getting into some sort of routine so I’m sure that is helping to makes things more solid. I wake with the sun at 6am, wash, dress, breakfast and leave for work.  By 6 .45 I am walking down to work along the main road, along with many other people – one of the really nice things about living here is that so few people have cars which means that you get to meet and greet people on the street – it is a social highlight!

Last week I spent most of my time inputting data and teaching myself how to use Excel Spreadsheets – a boring job but it has to be done. My reward for all those hours (and more to come , not finished yet) was being able to provide my boss with information that he required at two minutes notice. This week I am visiting four schools with another volunteer who has been here a long time and is going home in April, so I need to make the most of his knowledge and experience.

As I walk home, exhausted, I meet friendly faces and smiles all the time. Usually,  the children who live close by come to welcome me home, with arms outstretched for a hug. It is a delightful welcome mixed with sadness for the poverty in which they live. Their ingenuity in providing toys for themselves is boundless! Old bicycle tyres and a stick, paper helicopters, amazingly intricate wire cars with plastic lid wheels and footballs!!!???? Footballs made out of anything they can get their hands on – bits of netting stuffed with banana leaves, plastic bags filled with rubbish and wrapped around with cloth – the strips of cloth unfurling as the ball is kicked through the air and along the ground. Oh the excitement and joy of playing bare footed football !

I am including this photo in the blog this week for those who work in schools in the UK and may have seen a Peace Pole in the school garden. This is an international movement involving children and schools all over the world. I was thrilled to see this one in the garden of the Catholic school I visited today. It is a wonderful school founded by Pope John Paul to educate children from poorer families - the facilities are excellent and the staff team are wonderful. there is a Primary section and a Secondary section. Many of the children live in the 'Family Dormitories' and each has a House Mother. Children from the local area also attend the school, so that there is a good mixture and so that the school can serve the local community as well.