Meet my friends...(Part 2)

The girls:

Tabby

You may think I'm 6 yo, but I'm really only 4.

I like speaking English and ask a lot of questions too!

It's nice being the oldest one because I can help look after the younger ones.

Esther

My least favourite day of the week is Saturday, since it's always hair day.

I hate getting my hair done because it hurts so much.

I like writing my ABC's and it's a joy to do homework with me.

Rebecca

You will remember me from my very cheeky smile and I'm always up to no good.
It's also hard for me to not laugh at anything and I also like to repeat everything that ýou say.
It's hard to get angry at me because I will try to find a way to make you laugh!

Magie (Magdalene)

 I am great to cuddle and have a cute smile.
Being the only girl here with short (or no hair) makes me stand out, but I think I pull it off.
Singing is my passion and I also like to count numbers, although sometimes I might miss a few.

Eliza

My favourite past time is gardening. I like to dig up the dirt, fill up the cup and taste it.
I am really quiet, but I like people to pay attention to me too.
Angie likes to give me a punk rock hair style, but I'm not sure if I like it.

Debra

I love to laugh and I don't like chickens.

One day, I stood behind Angie thinking that she would protect me from them, but she ran away...

Miriam

Everyone likes playing with me because I'm fun.
I like to talk a lot and ask as many questions as I can.

Alice

I am one of the two girls who attend St. Christophers (with all the other boys).
I may seem like a bit of a tom boy to start off with, but I'm really quite petite and gentle.

Freschia

When I get really excited, I like to run right up to people and yell in their faces.
Then, I jump on and off them. I don't like cows, they scare me.

Kasupu (Tabitha)

I bring a whole new meaning to ADHD.
I hate sitting still and love jumping off stairs, people tables, chairs, anything!
The carers call me 'chocolate'.
I am very particular about what I wear and have a pile of clothes in the cupboard just for me.

Mercy

I like to shake my booty and love singing and dancing to Swahili songs.
It's difficult to get me to do my homework unless there is a sticker involved.
I recently celebrated my 4th birthday!

Baby Esther

My day currently consists of eating, playing and sleeping.

Meet my friends...(Part 1)

The boys:

Andrew

I am one of the younger boys at SABACH and I will be the first kids you will ever meet.

I am friendly, cheeky and love to do what I'm not suppose to do.

I like to eat too (and that includes absolutely everything).

Once I ate so much I pooed my pants in my bed.

But you'll never forget me because I have the biggest dimples in the world!

Moses

I am really smart and one of the few kids here that can repeat everything you say in English word for word, even when I don't know what it means.

(We always get Moses to tell us we are beautiful)

I have recently started school thanks to a sponsor and I enjoy it very much.

Sometimes, I have so much fun that I forget to go to the toilet and I come home wet.

David

I love to play soccer and will be the next David Beckham of Kenya.

I don't like it when someone tells me that I can't get a sweetie.

Sometimes I can have the saddest looking eyes in the world.

Charles

I have a very unique voice and you can always pick me out from all the other kids.

I love to sing songs and I know all the actions too!

I always look surprised because I answer everyone with big eyes and a wide mouth open!

Timo

While I may be the tiniest kid here, I can produce a lot of noise if I have to get some attention.

I was born with meningitis and was very sick for a long time.

But now I am healthy and feel a lot better.

Sometimes when I frown, my face looks like an old man.

I love to sing Father Abraham and other songs about Jesus.

Joshua

It's always a joy to tidy my bed in the morning because it's not often wet.

I like posing for pictures and when I see the photo I'll say 'Yeah!'
I also have a fettish for pink skirts and high heels.

They just feel so comfy!

Kush (Eliud)

I am shy and not as outspoken as the other kids, but I am a really friendly and will say 'hi' to anyone on the street.
I am adorable and sweet and always the first to spot a 'dudu' (insect or bug).
Before bed, I always need to do a poopoo.

Evans (Kibaba)

When I grow up, I'm going to be a model.
You should check out my teeth! They are super white.
My name in Kiswahili means My daddy.

Martin

I am a bit of a character.
I like robot dancing and have a million different facial expressions.
I can also be very gentle and sweet when I have to be.
Did I mention that I have the longest eyelashes in the world!

'When the well is dry, we know the worth of water'

One thing I have learnt while I've been here is to not be surprised to wake up to no electricity or running water. Sometimes we go for days without a shower and it's just as well that we are girls! This time last week the Milimani Estate ran out of water. People were walking around with buckets searching for any drop of water. Apparently, the water tanks in SABACH are miraculously always filled up, but not for the last 2 weekends.

You never really think about what might happened when there is no water because it's unlikely to ever happen in Sydney. So I've compiled a list of things that you cannot do when there is no water:

1) No shower - extra deodorant and you are good as gold

2) No drinking water - we usually boil and store as much water as we can in bottles. You never know when water will run out

3) No water to brush your teeth - Listerine!

4) No toilet - no water to flush, so we try not to go too many times, which isn't too much of a problem since we are not drinking a lot of water. It can become a bit of a problem after a couple of days though. We have miraculously found a random tap which has water so if we are desperate we can manually flush using a big bucket.

5) No tea - this is a big, serious problem for me

6) No dishes - our sink gets quite a neat stack of plates and bowls. We would usually boil water to do the dishes but again, no water.

7) No cooking - we cannot cook pasta or rice or basically anything that requires soaking

8) No vegies/fruit - (linked to no. 7) unless it has skin, everything needs to be soaked in water and bleach

9) No laundry - of course!

Jesus answered, 'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'      

John 4:13-14

Lake Nakuru



Lake Nakuru



Freaky blue lizard looking over Lake Nakuru NP

Finally, rhinos! (the last of the Big 5)

Rhinos lazing by the lake

The gang

Ugly pumba

Happy Birthday!

Yesterday we held a birthday party for all the kids who had/will have birthdays from August to December this year. Like all true African events, the party did not start until 2 hours later than it intended. By this time, the kids were tired and starving. However, they were in good spirits when the cakes came out!

'I wish this party would hurry up and start..'





Party time!

 

David: 'Like my suit?'



Moses: 'I'm so tired, I can't blow out these candles'



Cake time!!



Tabitha likes her new handkerchief.
Martin just likes to show his belly.

 

   

Post-party



Hair salon day

Like all Kenyan ladies, the girls get their hair-dos changed every month or so. Last Saturday, Jane and Michael set up shop for the kids to get their hair done.

Hair washing

Michael shaving Kush's hair

Mercy & Esther

Punk rock Eliza

Fros

I think I'm in love...

Yesterday, I had a moment with Timo.

The little ones had just woken up from their nap and were still in a bit of a daze. As we were preparing all their clothes etc, Timo turned to me and asked me to 'bebe' (carry) him. So we sat together on the floor with him on my lap as I hugged him (but not too tightly).

Every now and then he would turn around and look at me with his little, sad face and dark brown eyes.

I asked him if he would come home with me and he said, 'yes'.

We spent the next 10 minutes in silence as we enjoyed each other's company.

Menengai Crater

Had the day off today, so we trekked up to the top of the Menengai Crater. From Nakuru, this volcano looks pretty average and boring (just some forested slopes) but when standing atop the edge it is absolutely jaw-dropping.

The crater is 2272 metres high, 484 metres deep and the area is 90 square km. Legend has it that the steam which can be seen rising from the bottom is actually the souls of defeated Masai warriors, thrown in to the crater after a territorial battle, trying to make their way to heaven.

Menengai Crater

The walk from SABACH was about 7 km and took nearly 2 hours. It was uphill all the way!! Although, not as bad as I had expected.

When we first arrived, there were a school group there and as usual we got lots of stares and giggles. One of the guys came and asked if he could take a photo with us and soon we had 20-30 students pulling us here and there to take photos. To make it even funnier, they had this old school wind up camera. They particularly liked Bianca since she had long hair and everyone kept stroking her ponytail.


May, this one is for you

School kids & us @ Menengai

Bianca, Eva, Waltraud & Me

I promise to post up some photos of our hair salon experience soon!

The Big 5 (or 4)

Habari! So Masai Mara was awesome! We went on 3 game drives and saw lots of animals. Unfortunately though, there was no big 5 :( Rhinos were in hiding. There were heaps of zebras everywhere and we even saw a lion couple mate. It was...interesting. Apparently lions mate every 20 minutes, for 42 times a day. Let's just say that there were a couple of safari vehicles hanging around the lions for awhile.

Elephant

Lion

Leopard



Buffalo



And other favourites at Masai Mara:

Giraffe

Mama & bubs

View in Masai Mara





Looking out to the Rift Valley

Safari camp

Zebras

Surprise - like my new hair? More details to come on my painful experience.