Well it has been a few days yet again since I have updated this. I am currently writing this blog while on cough medicine so if it gets a little foggy in there I am probably about to fall asleep. No worries though, I am not ill just have a little cough from the allergies or something. Anyway. We finally have a schedule for the Havens so we have officially been working with the little ones for a few days now. I have been in all 3 Haven’s and seen many children. For those of you who do not know, the Havens are the orphanages where all the children under 4 live at the Namwianaga mission. Haven 1 houses all the infants until they are about 18 months or somewhere around that. Haven 2 houses the toddlers. Haven 3 is for the medically fragile children who could possible have HIV or TB or diseases along those lines. We have worked in all 3 of those places now. The first few days we just took baselines of what the children were able to do. Most of them are lower functioning than I would have figured. Most children are not talking to us right now. In the mornings I work with the toddler language group. I typically work with a little girl named Katy. Now Katy had a special place in my heart before I even left for Zambia. This little girl’s picture has been hung up in my dorm room for the past 2 years thanks to my roommate Cassie. Cassie was able to go to Zambia 2 years ago with Harding during a semester and Katy was the baby she was assigned to take care of. Upon my arrival at Haven 2 it was my mission to find this child and I succeeded. She is so big and beautiful; it is amazing. The only problem is she will not talk for me! At all! Now I could understand if she was completely nonverbal all the time but that little toot stands outside of the window whenever I am doing therapy in the afternoon and shouts at people when I am not looking. I have heard her say another girls name as well as words that I guessed were in Tonga. I was like, you little jerk, you have been holding out on me. I typically tell these frustations to the child I am in therapy with at that time. A sweet girl with Cerebral Palsy that is completely nonverbal.
Everyone I feel should know that I have now named every day of the week so that I do not lose track of what day it is, because it is quite hard. Monday of course is Malaria Monday because it is when I take my medicine; this is the only way I will remember to take my weekly medicine. Tuesday is Tessa Tuesday. Wednesday is walking Wednesday; this means you always walk to the Haven’s no matter what, which equals around 6 miles for the entire day. Thursday is thumbs up Thursday, so every photo must incorporate that. Friday is Freestyle Friday, so you must make up some freestyle raps while walking to the Haven. Saturday was Super Sweet Saturday. Sunday was Soccer Sunday. Those are the days that we made up for this past week. I am just excited that everyone joins in with me on my silly things like this.
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