The boys are kicking me off... computer game time for them.

One week down and Ive already found a home; I really dont know how Im going to be able to leave. I suppose just knowing that the children are in the hands of the best care ever will allow me to leave and also knowing that I will be back. So what is it that I do you ask?? My daily schedule is a bit like this: 8:00 Morning prayer with the staff 8:30 Start work with the cleaning staff 1:00 Lunch time, either the kitchens food for my wonderful Italian roomie makes us Pasta :) 2:00 Break time, which is usually when I write to all of you wonderful people, go to town to get food, go for a run, do laundry, shower (if it has been a sunny day as we have solar power), or just relax) 3:00 Back to work with the cleaning/cooking or someone else 5:00 The boys are home from school, I go help the clean, we play soccer 6:30 Dinner time with the guys 7:30 Homework time-- this has been a struggle, but is getting better 8:30 Bedtime for the guys I go back to my room and chat with Elizabeth, my roomie and sometimes the other volunteers if they are around, otherwise I read or just hang out. I am usually in bed by 11. If the food wasnt the best at dinner I make myself something to eat at this point. Fun huh? I like it! On Saturdays an Sundays we have off as do the kids, so we pretty much just play all day. Jump rope, soccer, basketball, whatever. We also have mass on Sunday, which was very cool as there was lots of singing and dancing. Once the kids are out of school I will be teaching, Im not sure what exactly yet. Today I am going to propose to Sister Julie, the volunteer coordinator, that I teach a challenge course to the older kids. Here there is no counselors, well there is one social worker, but she is over worked and doenst really have time to teach the kids life lessons. I want to propose teaching a class on setting goals, responsibility, challenging yourself, self-respect, love, sharing, faith, etc. I want to challenge the kids to think outside of the box; have them doing challenging excercises and then have them talk through it, have them journal and ask questions. They really dont have any outlets or places to go for questions or answers. I see a lot confussion and self destruction in these kids. They were spoiled as children. They are in an interesting place as no one ever though they would live. Now, they will be able to live full lives, get married, have kids that are probably even HIV -; but they dont know these things. They have gotten some answers from Susan, a Fullbright Scholar from WI who has been here for a while. But they dont have an outlet for their feelings and I see them taking it out on each other, on their things and that is not healthy. So, Im hoping Sister Julie will allow me to challenge these kids to reach a greater limit; as many of them do see themselves as much. Phew, thats a handful huh? That all came to me in the past week, both through working with the kids and prayer. I know that I am here for a reason, I really do and I believe it is more than teaching the kids 1+1=2. Not that that would be bad, but I feel like I am here to do more. Im hoping to work on African policy when I go back. It would also be my hope to start taking some social work and more psychology classes part time. Dealing with HIV is a very hard thing to go through and to come to terms with, and people need help with it. Im hoping that next time I come back I will be trained to do counseling work, to help them work through the problems. Make them realize that they are just as amazing as anyone else. Imagine first of all being left behind by parents and coming to terms with that and then imagine having a life long illness that will effect you for the rest of your life. There are very few people who can get through this alone. Depression, anxiety, confussion, pain, frusteration, anger, these are just a few of the feelings people suffer from. See, it all sounds so depressing you think, but its not. Its amazing, these kids. They are living full normal lives, well not normal, but much more normal than we had ever expected. And these kids are going to change the world. They are smart, creative and passionate. They are so loved and care for here, which is beyond awesome. Sister Julie and I joke that we live in the "Nyumbani Bubble"... a happy place. I love it! Also, the volunteers here are awesome there is my wonderfully big-hearted Italian roomate Elizabeth, Beth from Boston, Susan the Wisconsin Sex-Ed woman, Clemonce the French girl who is going to village... ah! Alright the boys need the computer.