Sat, Oct 25, 2008

This is a post from Sat, Oct 25, 2008. We have been having a terrible time connecting to the internet so we post what we can, when we can.

We went to the market again this morning with a group of kids and the big truck. The rainy season is coming upon us and Esther wants to get as much firewood as she can before the rains start so she can start storing it in a dry place. We went to the market in the village where Mphatso (age 7) and her brother Yamikani (age approximately 12) originally lived. Mphatso (pronounced “Patso”) lived with her grandmother as their mother died when Mphatso was born. Grandmother did not take care of her and was not able to feed her so Mphatso begged in the market for food. Her brother, Yamikani, did not stay with grandma but every time Esther went to the market, he begged her to take his sister. Mphatso & Yamikani have been at the orphanage at least 6 months now. When we left the orphanage on Saturday morning, Esther told Yamikani where we were going and that she was going to take Mphatso with us. He was very upset and begged her not to take Mphatso to that market, which was the market she begged for food in. We took Mphatso and when we got to the market, Esther asked her if she knew where we were. She said she did and named the market. (By the way, Esther told me the day before that she was going to take Mphatso to that market with us and I could not sleep all night – worried how Mphatso might handle the market.)

We walked around purchasing our food and Mphatso held either my hand or Esther’s hand the entire time. Some of the ladies from the village recognized Mphatso and tried to speak with her. She would not speak with them and would not make eye contact with them but she knew where she was and I am sure she knew the women.

After we finished shopping, we went across the street to the market to get something cold to drink. During this time Mphatso told me that she had to go to the bathroom. It took her and Miracle (Esther & Bishop Stephano’s daughter), out back to the restroom and when we returned to the store, there was an elderly woman sitting next to Esther. She told me that this woman was Mphatso’s grandmother. The look on Mphatso’s face was sheer fright. Esther called her over to her and all she did was bury her head into Esther’s shoulder and would not look at her grandmother. She did not greet her until I took her hand and greeted her granny with her. Then I took her over to sit and me and Ray because she did not want to go back to sit by Esther because granny was there. When I sat her down on the seat next to us, she had huge tears streaming down her face. She was scared to death. I carried her out to the truck and thought I was going to lose circulation in my neck as she was hanging on so tight. I put her in the passenger seat of the truck first then I got in. Granny followed us to the truck and Mphatso hesitantly greeted her but I think the only reason she did was because I was between her and her grandmother. Ray’s jacket was lying on the floor in the front seat and she climbed on my lap and held his jacket over her like a security blanket. I tried removing the jacket several times because I was hot but she was not letting go of that jacket. After the truck was about a mile away from the market, she was fine and starting singing with Miracle. I managed to remove the jacket just before we reached the orphanage and Yamikani was very relieved to see his sister back at the orphanage. We spoke to Yamikani later and he said the reason he was scared for her was because he was afraid the people in the village would insist that Mphatso remain there with them. We told him that there was no way we were going to let her stay there, that the orphanage is her home and that is where she will remain.

Esther had sent word to all the guardians in that area that she wanted to speak with them about the children so later that day, Mphatso & Yamikani’s grandmother arrived at the orphanage. (Some other guardians had arrived first and she saw that we spoke with them then they left, leaving the children at the orphanage.) I thought she would have been upset but she did go and greet her grandmother, then went off to play. I think the reason she greeted her grandmother was because she saw that the other kids were still there after their guardians arrived and she felt she was in a safe place at the orphanage.

Later that day, we took four girls to government hospital – yes, the same hospital we took Tamanda to so she could get her rabies shots (she just got shot #3 of 5). Ellis, the first girl we took to the hospital with malaria, has been having seizures. The doctor told us she has the start of epilepsy and wants to see her again on Wednesday to do more testing. Esther has called for her guardian to come and talk with her because she wants him (an uncle) to know about Ellis and her seizures. Chifundo, the one we took to the hospital last week because she is anemic now has pneumonia and is being treated for that. Irene, one of the older girls, has malaria and Memory is having congestion issues. The doctor is treating her for an infection.

Going to the market to feed 100+ hungry children and treating sick children is a full time job. I am trying to assist with remembering when to give medications but that is a full time job in itself.