Day 6

Day 6
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Paula woke up this morning feeling much better so we spent the whole day at the Tetekela Day Care Center with 150 or more kids, ages 3-16 or so. Wonderful, high energy, shy and brassy, older and younger, caring and helpful, respectful and obedient, boisterous and pushing the edge – all the things you expect children to be. We brought three footballs, two Aerobies, and four bags of beads to string, and we first had to find who would be in charge of which. Paula went with the older teen girls to string bracelets and necklaces and I went out to find the boys. They were all in a round, thatched roof gathering place making all the noise boys can make. As I approached and they noticed me an absolute silence ensued with them all looking at me and I at them. Since I don’t speak a word of Bemba and they speak very little if any English it was rather hopeless until Sister Petronella showed up to translate. I told them a bit about myself and mentioned the Aerobies (they had no idea what those were) and footballs (they went wild). I told them a bit about myself and then Sister suggested that they ask me some questions. That was not particularly productive because of their shyness (which later gave way to ready smiles and eager high five’s!) so she suggested a break so they could think of them, I took that as an excellent suggestion and went for the Aerobies.
There is a young man, Joachim, in charge of sports, so it seemed best to wait until he could organize the football game. I thought I could manage an Aerobie free for all. And free it was what with learning how to sail the Aerobie, retrieving the ones that went over the wall, fights over who got there first, tussles that threatened to tear an Aerobie apart, and general chaos. I tried to take some action pictures to send to the Aerobie Corporation for posting on the website but every time the camera came out they forgot about playing and wanted to be in the picture. It occurred to me that most of these kids had never seen themselves, so even that tiny screen on the back of the camera was a complete novelty. Besides which they seemed not to understand Movie or Video. All they knew was still picture taking. So I finally retrieved the Aerobies and retreated to where Paula was working with beads.
The girls were having a great time stringing beautiful bracelets and necklaces. The literally thousands of beads which we thought would last for several sessions were all used up before lunch! We both needed a rest so I took Paula on a tour of the facilities and took a few more pictures.
Lunch is amazing. The children line up outside the dining hall and come in, a few at a time to receive their trays piled high with food (much more than I could eat but probably the only meal most of them will have today), go find a place at the table and sit quietly (mostly) until everyone is served and a prayer is said, and then they dive in. The menu today (and it would be much the same every day) was maize, a very thick white cornmeal porridge, rather like polenta, cooked in a huge vat over a charcoal fire, dried yellow peas cooked in a similar fashion, and some cooked vegetables that appeared to be mostly cabbage. No spoons, forks or knives. It’s all eaten with the hands in communal style, adults and children. Then tables are cleared and cleanup is done. We never did figure out how the assignments were made but the cleaners were marvelously creative and energetic in the tasks, down on their hands and knees with rags and buckets of water. Soon the dining room was spotless.

An after lunch gathering with both Paula and me (Joachim translating) gave a chance for more questions. After a while the three footballs were brought out (miraculously fully inflated) and three games ensued – one for the older boys; one for the girls (a vague resemblance to Keep Away) , both of them skillfully played and hard fought on the large play field; and another football game with the younger boys in the drive way, intense but less skillful. It was a HOT day so water and cleanup with outdoor showers were welcome, after which the children slathered on lotion.
There was a final gathering in the meeting house outdoors where the children wanted to sing to us. We were properly seated and they sang with drums beating, two songs in English (one about friends and the other “Bind Us Together, Lord” – we could sing along on that one!), and one in Bemba. Very heart warming. Then came an impromptu statement by one of the boys wishing us God’s blessing in our travels and a hope that we could come again (in Bemba, translated by Sister Petronella). As a last gesture, on Sister Baptista’s suggestion, we had purchased bags of hard candy. The very mention brought incredible cheers. It was very moving and, I must admit, significantly embarrassing for me, to place a small, paper wrapped candy in dozens of stretched out hands (did some of them come for seconds??). Children dressed in rags and hand-me-downs, dependent on relative strangers for their very survival and a glimpse of hope, so eager for a taste of sweetness. It’s a humbling experience.
We asked Joachim and Florence, the two young volunteer teachers, what kept them coming back to Tetekela Day Care. They have their own dreams but they each said, in their own way, that if they could help just one of they youngsters grow out of the life they have into a dream they may not yet be aware of, it would all be worth while.
What a moving day!
Bruce and Paula