It was a very long and challenging day topped off with a fantastic Skype call to Moraine Valley. We got a late start this morning but when I got to the camp the leaders were underway nicely. I was taking pictures and trying to connect a few dots for Saturday when I got the news that the generator at the library was down. We scrambled and I managed to talk to a few representatives in the camp who allowed us to us a small portable generator for our call. One nice thing about being in a refugee camp is that you can find people (eventually) when you need to. Teddy and I had to track down the Skype computer and it only took us twenty minutes to do so. We also took Benjamin and Christine to the local village to buy new shoes for their dresses (the dresses should be completed Sunday). I was very annoyed at one shop as the guy seemed disinterested and wouldn't pull all of the shoes he had out of a big bag. He kept putting some back in and reaching down and bringing others out. We found a pair for Christine and I will buy a pair for Benjamin here at Zongo. I unleashed a bit of my irritation on the salesman, making sure he knew I thought he was lazy. He wasn't too pleased by that, and when he gave me my change he just chortled at me. I had the great pleasure of pointing out that he had given me too much and returning a bit :)
I got back in time to see some rehearsals for Saturday and even had time to teach them Simon Says. It's like having a giant bag of magic tricks sometimes here - they are so bright and competitive that they instantly grab onto these games and have a wonderful time. They yell, laugh, and smile a lot, then congratulate each other. It is a fun place to be.
We set up the Skype call a half hour early with all our fingers crossed! The generator kept running, the connections stayed up, and we finally figured out how to get our camera working. There was a barely audible gasp when the realized that President Jenkins had entered the room. The excitement was palpable. There were 75 of us in the room and another 50 outside looking through the windows. Everyone was so into the moment that there was almost absolute silence, something you don't get here often :) Levy and the kids (The Ambassadors of Peace) did a fantastic job - they sang two songs in English that Levy composed and one in their native language, Sango. The English Club leaders were wonderful as well. They were passionate about their programs and in their genuine gratitude to the college for sharing me with them for two months. When President Jenkins spoke to them, they beamed with affection and appreciation. Seldom does someone of her stature speak so closely and so warmly to them. They will remember this day all their lives.
After the phenomenal call, the Girls Empowerment Club wandered off to the carpenter's shop for a field trip and waited around for some colleagues. We left an hour and a half later than usual and I loved the sunset we chased all the way home. The world is full of good people and I know a bunch of them :)
I got back in time to see some rehearsals for Saturday and even had time to teach them Simon Says. It's like having a giant bag of magic tricks sometimes here - they are so bright and competitive that they instantly grab onto these games and have a wonderful time. They yell, laugh, and smile a lot, then congratulate each other. It is a fun place to be.
We set up the Skype call a half hour early with all our fingers crossed! The generator kept running, the connections stayed up, and we finally figured out how to get our camera working. There was a barely audible gasp when the realized that President Jenkins had entered the room. The excitement was palpable. There were 75 of us in the room and another 50 outside looking through the windows. Everyone was so into the moment that there was almost absolute silence, something you don't get here often :) Levy and the kids (The Ambassadors of Peace) did a fantastic job - they sang two songs in English that Levy composed and one in their native language, Sango. The English Club leaders were wonderful as well. They were passionate about their programs and in their genuine gratitude to the college for sharing me with them for two months. When President Jenkins spoke to them, they beamed with affection and appreciation. Seldom does someone of her stature speak so closely and so warmly to them. They will remember this day all their lives.
After the phenomenal call, the Girls Empowerment Club wandered off to the carpenter's shop for a field trip and waited around for some colleagues. We left an hour and a half later than usual and I loved the sunset we chased all the way home. The world is full of good people and I know a bunch of them :)
Kids everywhere - the program is growing and we are struggling to keep up with it. The leaders are handling this good problem, and I couldn't be more pleased with way things are going
Juliet and Teddy leading an icebreaker where everyone gets half of a picture then they must silently find the person with the other half.
Simon Says "Laugh"
Everyone wants to know what is going on
The ladies group practicing an empathy activity for Saturday's celebration. They want to help the camp be more sensitive to the blind members
The Girls Empowerment Club fired up after Dr. Jenkins comments. They are off to the carpenter's shop
Kids
Two ends of a great call - small world!
Late heading home facing this around a corner - luckily, we have experienced a struck truck like this before in this very spot and the "road" Yaya had built around the trouble was still passable
Alas, I have to switch gears and attend to less interesting things - my flight arrangements back to Kinshasa next week :(
No comments:
Post a Comment