Archived News

August 2006

Good Morning All,

It is another sunny day in Nampula. I am home sick today perhaps the Frango chicken had just a little too much go. Yesterday the day was spent with the street kids, doing what we would call community outreach. The toothbrushes were a great hit so too the simple games of soccer and chats across language barriers. The fact of language has some of the young minds learning quickly, I am always amazed at the speed by which all of this is picked up.

Our hotel maids have taken a real shine to us. Their Laundry money exceeds a week's wages every time we give them a bag. They are taking it home, on the sly, so the manager does not get his cut. They seem fascinated by what we are doing. We have also spent time helping our night watchman who had a very serious infection in his hand. So we are making friends in the right places. It must be said that the business people in the hotel are wondering what the angle behind all of this is. Who is making money and that sort of thing. There is a great duality here between the local population and the expats doing business. The business environment is slow and cumbersome but the profits they make are, apparently worth the frustration. The locals we have met are making one or two dollars a day so the trickledown effect takes time, I hope it happens. There is the potential for great wealth here but the barriers of corruption and of wealth versus poverty are still very strong.

You may have heard that some health issues are still challenging. I had the 24 hour bug and am still not what you would call "confident" in this internet café. However, all the kids who have been hit are soldiering on. It seems to a be a 24 hour thing for the most part which indicates problems with food. We are monitoring the comings and goings closely. We also have a good private doctor on call should the need arise. Shellin Areejh´s cut is minor and will heal very well, please do not worry.

The next step is a weekend off in Pemba; these kids have earned a week off. So far they have built a shelter, volunteered in the orphanage for three days, done community and street outreach on the "farm" with Moises and Connie as well as walked the streets of this very untouristy African town and for the most part made Friends. One friend we have made we would like to get rid of is Rasta Man, seemingly a local who is suffering a sort of mental disorder; he has followed the girls and even attempted to jump at Linley at the Market. This has reinforced the need for mixed gender groups as he seems to go after women when men are not there. Mark gave Rasta a bit of a scare two nights ago, hope this sticks. Not to over play this issue but it keeps us careful.

The internet service is remarkably slow in Mozambique, part of that infrastructure deficit that the UN writes about, but as I was waiting to have the page load up, four kids tapped on the window, made faces and laughed. At first I did not understand, then they pulled out tooth brushes we gave out yesterday. Now they are looking for a coke. Another, interesting story on the giving front, yesterday half the group was buying ice cream and met up with some of their new found friends. Of course they offered to buy for the shoeless kids. Why not? Obviously, no one thought of how fast the word travels. Within moment they were surrounded by 30 street kids looking for a treat. Ethan took hold of the riot by tossing his ice cream in the air and herding the group into the Shop Rite. After a little shopping, the kids were lying in wait, but this time not with outstretched hands but with laughter. Good tactics Group. It is not all heartbreak stuff though there is a great deal of it, instead there is humour, and laughter from the children we meet who are still a little wonderstruck as to what these Calgary kids are all about. I like wonder in kids, ours and the ones who live here.

As for the rest, I will be leaving in two more days with guarded confidence. The partnership is all that we were hoping for and I look forward to having the story of this little place told by our kids when they return.

Have a great day,

Nigel

July 2006

This year, Fontaine Children's Charity Foundation partnered up with Humanican (www.humanican.org), to send 8 Calgary High School students to Nampula for a month. They will be working with the street children, preparing food, dressing wounds, teaching, and playing with them. They will also help build a small shelter for the street children. One of the most emotional experiences I had in Nampula was at the Mother Theresa orphanage, and the Canadian students will get to experience that as well. There, they will feed and change babies, and play with the older kids. Basically, they will just be there to give support to the nuns who work there, and to show the children some much needed love. Finally, the Canadian students will help teach English at a preschool in Nampula. Here, they will use games and nursery rhymes to teach the children English.

We truly hope that this year's trip will be a great success and that we will be able to have many more trips throughout the years. Good luck to all the students, have fun, and take it all in!

Email from Nigel - head of Humanican:

Good morning Folks,

This morning found us in the mother Teresa orphanage in Nampula. There are one hundred children between one month and Five years old at the orphanage and I have to say that I have never seen young people with such courage. Some of our kids spent the morning changing the children, yes Parker is an expert in this domain and others worked with the two year olds, while a final group took some time with the slightly older kids to organize games. Other highlights include Areejh on laundry, Mirram balancing five kids on two legs, Ethan feeding a bottle to a sick child, Faruq teaching four year olds Frisbee, Kailey well, Kailey is everywhere Allie quiet on a bench feeding breakfast, and Alex seeking out the child in the corner, the one that the children exclude and having a moment with just that child.

You have no idea the pride I feel in the courage of your children.

The wonder of visiting an orphanage lies in children who simply want to be held. There are simply not enough nuns to keep up with even the basic needs of these kids so having the Calgary ten to treat the children like children, love them, hold them or sing to them changes the whole day of these kids. They are waiting for us now, so if you are not getting emails you will have to understand.

I know this is heartbreaking and a few of us had a good cry with lunch but the fact remains we know we are changing one day in the lives of these children each time that we go. Five went out to the shelter being built for the streetkids. Mark is working to get this project done over the next week. Tomorrow we will be at the orphanage to help with the morning feeding of the kids and to play with them again. Between 12 and 2 they nap and we have lunch. Monday we are at the preschool organizing a sports day and Tuesday and Wednesday we are doing outreach at the centre with the street children. We will be back with Mother Teresas children in the mornings throughout. There is great need here.

The sisters were also overwhelmed with the medicine that we have brought with us. Clearly children need the supplements and pediatric painkillers. In the dispensary there were four bottles of expired antibiotics and little else, now it is past full. This alone has given our hosts a gift they can use.

We are becoming known around our hotel for our kind words and the occasional toy given to street children. The community is surprised at what we are doing here, and I believe, appreciative.

Thank you for giving your children this chance, they are changing the world, as they come to know themselves and what challenges they can take up. Your kids are healthy and happy.

Nigel

Email from Linley: (July 2006)

Hola amigos,

I think it's safe to say that we're relatively settled in to Nampula now. When I last wrote everyone, we were on our way to get a tour and check things out, but since then we've been busy bees over here.

Friday we went to work in the orphanage. The children are absolutely adorable and were ecstatic to have our attention. Parker surprised us all with his gift for dealing with babies! I myself learned a thing or two from him, and Alex had a knack for putting babies to sleep with her lullabies. Our time spent there is never wasted cause these kids are just starving for attention. If anyone stood still for a minute they'd find themselves covered in youngsters trying to get in for a hug.

That afternoon half the kids went out to the drop in center to build while the rest of us returned to the orphanage.

On Saturday, Nigel took the kids to the orphanage again while Faruq, Mark and I went out to the street kid drop in center where we helped build a shelter. We spent the day there and Connie took Faruq and I on a walk through the neighbouring village and filled us in on some of Mozambiques past as well as South Africa's. The building went slowly though and as we're all learning... everything in Mozambique does! Getting materials is a little tedious and they're not the best quality... for example, the wood here is harder than the nails.

Sunday, a number of us went to church. Moises is a pastor and he and Connie invited us to join them. Church here is exciting with a lot of singing, dancing and drums. We all agreed that church was actually fun!! Allie, Kailey, Areejh, Mirium and Alex were all hits with the children at church too and were all escorted by a number of children until we got to our transport. Sunday afternoon, everyone went to the market. The girls were very successful there and found some great bargains.

Yesterday we played with preschool children and taught them "head and shoulders, knees and toes", "the hokey pokey", "what time is it mr. wolf?" and "British bulldog". Areejh dazzled the kids with bubbles. Then that afternoon back to the orphanage and building.

Today we finally met the street kids and played with them. Ethan was a real hit cause of all the basket balls he brought. All they wanted to do all day was play with them!!

Tomorrow we're working with more kids from the community, and teaching them things about general health. Our own health has been pretty good as a whole. There's been the occasional case of what we call "the nam-POO-las" but this is normal while traveling in Africa and doesn't last 24 hours... after all, the theme of this trip is "way too runny"!!!

This pretty much describes our work here for the next little while. It's great being here cause all the street kids and orphans are so happy to see us and love spending time with us. You can expect an email from me once we get back from Pemba, so next Sunday or Monday.

I hope that all is well in Canada.

Cheers,

Linley