Andy’s view
Today is Dani (from Romania) birthday.
After breakfast and a prayer and worship time (in the wonderfully acoustic chapel) at the Karibuni centre we set off. One team went to Shewa in two trucks with a crowd of local volunteer translators; whilst the other team walked up to the Airport church for it’s session.
In Shewa we were interviewing for the first time in the school. They gave us a great welcome and let us use a classroom. Mark had a huge, avid audience for his photoshoot outside and coped remarkably well. One particular highlight was a fantastic boy called Andrea who followed us around everywhere. The Airport team was a little more relaxed than yesterday but still worked hard for a number of hours. We have a really keen team this year and we were still sorting out forms after the children had stopped coming instead of actually going and having some food.
Overall we interviewed another 400 children. We have not taken on many new ones, which has at times been hard. People do come and sit for long periods simply in hope that we might relent and let their children join the scheme. But we know we have to be sensible. Many of the children already enrolled are still waiting for sponsors.
We ate altogether again in the Grassroots centre library. The team is so multinational. The translators and helpers ate with us and then chilled out joining in a passionate debate about football. The team were particularly surprised to find so many Arsenal fans in Tanzania despite their lack of success in recent years, whilst also pleased to hear from Markson of Kevin Nolan’s success at his previous club on Sunday.
We walked back to the Karibuni during the beginning of yet another beautiful sunset. As soon as we arrived the team were once again desperate to work – and shower! It is very dusty here! The computers are working, if a little slowly, and we have been able to upload some of information, which is quite satisfying. We also had a very useful accounting meeting with Richard, preparing for another important committee meeting tomorrow. All in all another good day.
Andy (who was particularly pleased to see that Archie had eaten his pasta yesterday just before we uploaded this blog)
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Sharon: Shewa was quite emotional in many ways. There are so many very frail and elderly grandparents caring for their grandchildren or great grandchildren. Two gentlemen stood in front of a large waiting crowd to say, “Thank you and please keep coming. We need your help.” To watch these dear people, often leaning on sticks, gather the children in their charge and head off to be interviewed was quite a heart breaking sight. No money. No work. No pension. And often no food! How difficult life can be!