March 8, 2007
Busy Day in the Village
It is our final full day with the children in India. This morning I spent time with a few of the boys who shared their life stories with me. Chandra is 8 years old and is in the orphanage because his mother could not afford to keep him on her $1.50 per day salary.
Kristen did an art project with the kids earlier today. When they finished, they immediately ran to her saying "Sista, sista" for approval of their paintings.
Last night while walking around the town, we found a small carnival in the downtown area of the village. We negotiated with the owner/big dog of the carnival: each child can go for 20 rupees (less than 50 cents) unlimited rides tonight. I can't wait to take the kids! Best night of my life.
Today the mattress man came to the orphanage to start making beds for the children. We are buying 75 of them at $8 each.
Before our flight tomorrow we are going to get a wheelchair for Devulu, the boy at the orphanage with polio.
Thank you for making HALO possible, for changing these lives. It is impossible to describe how thankful the children are.
--Rebecca
March 4, 2007
The last orphanage we visited in Kenya was in the village of Naibor. This home was started by a man who helped the village children with their studies everyday until the AIDS epidemic hit the area. One by one the children were orphaned and he took them in to his house. He then built a few mud huts for them to stay in as the number grew to 16. When we arrived, the children took me by the hand and showed me the beds, clothing, food bags, and uniforms HALO provided for them. Each child was so thankful. The girls of the village do their artwork by collecting plastic bags and scraps and making it into dolls. Each girl submitted a doll for the HALO art auction to help support their orphanage. When it came time for us to share a meal with the director and his family, he brought out a goard filled with 2 week old milk for us to drink. It is considered a delicacy in Africa so as they all watched Kristen and I sipped on the mysterious drink, smiling all the while.
We arrived in Tuni, India afer 24 hours of travel from Africa. We were greeted at the orphanage with piles of flowers and signs painted just for us. The 75 children and orphanage directors Raja and Sudah Seekher were so excited to see us. They treat us like royalty here. Last night we had dinner wearing traditional Indian Saris. The girls at the orphanage wear dresses everyday. The boys teach us Indian dance and I am teaching them a bit of Karate. We are going to purchase mattresses for the children at $5 each this week. We are also going to buy a much needed wheelchair for a boy who is paralyzed from the waist down who currently drags himself around the home. The town is amazing - very very old school India.--Rebecca
February 27, 2007
Timau Orphanage did not exist until recently when HALO was approached to fund the lives of 12 boys in a building behind a church. In January 2007, 12 boys moved into a wooden home about the size of an American trailer to start living new lives. Almost every child in this group lost both parents to AIDS and were living with guardians who could no longer care for them or didn't want them around anymore. So HALO bought them beds, clothes, toothbrushes, shoes, food and a little metal trunk for all of their belongings. Kristin, Josh, and I slept there for two days, ate there for two days, did art projects, and spent time with the boys I will never forget. They are so thankful and excited about every little thing they have (especially the toothbrushes). I formed a special bond with a boy named John. His parents died and he was forced to live with his uncles who made him sleep in a shed with the sheep and abused him horribly. He is the brightest boy in the group - speaks great English, wants to be a doctor, and has amazing leadership qualities. I believe in him. I know one day because of HALO he will be able to do anything he puts his brilliant mind to.
My heart broke when I left. --Rebecca
February 22, 2007
We arrived in Nairboi last night and went to an orphanage in Mathare Slum, one of the biggest in Eastern Africa. 500,000 people live in a few mile radius. Unreal. The director informed us that 50-60% of the people have HIV/AIDS. Tomorrow we are going to Isiolo where one of the HALO orphanages is and Josh Frye, our one man film crew is coming with us. He arrives tonight. Honestly, my mind has been spinning with ways to raise funds when I get home. It is so hard to say no to children who need us and I know we can make it happen. We tried to send pictures via email but it seems it would be faster for us to walk them to the US since the computers are so slow. We will be in the bush for a while so we may not be able to blog but will write more as soon as possible.--Rebecca
February 22, 2007
Thus far, there are numerous experiences I could tell of in regards to our travels. Due to lack of time, I would rather share with you how important I feel this trip has been for HALO. Rebecca and I have been able to meet many different people from all spectrums to discuss non-profit work, orphanages, poverty in Africa, and the vision of HALO. Often it is hard to grasp the reality of a situations when we are on the other side of the world attempting to provide relief from the states. However, really devoting time towards the situation equips us with the knowledge and experience to know what is beneficial and what is not. Therefore, this trip has affirmed our decision to have me return to Africa as a full-time ambassador for HALO. With the ability to immerse myself with the people we are aiming to assist, I will have a better idea of what steps HALO should take.
Also, I do not want to boast but it has been extremely encouraging and reassuring to be able to discuss HALO with those who have been in the non-profit business for quite some time. They have affirmed our program and shown us what a truly unique purpose HALO serves in the lives of orphans across the world. Thank you for the support you have given to make a real difference. It could not happen without your support of HALO. --Kristin
February 20, 2007
Everywhere I look is another child in need of help. Thousands of elderly people lost all of their children to AIDS and have been left behind to care for 5 -15 grandchildren. On no salary. So the children work very hard in fields, carrying water, and doing small tasks just to make enough to eat. What happens when their grandmother dies and they have nobody to care for them... We went to a village yesterday where the children walk miles for water and if they make enough money for school, which is around $45 a year, they walk over 5 miles to get there. --Rebecca
February 17, 2007
After 30 hours of travel, spending Valentines day in the air, a bumpy bumpy flight from Nairobi to Entebbe, and sleeping in our sleeping bags at the airport, Kristen Vogel and I arrived at 11:30 p.m. in beautiful Uganda. Fulukas, our HALO Ambassador in Uganda was awaiting our arrival with a little sign that read HALO and the real journey began. The country, culture, and people captivate me while we drive like maniacs from place to place. (We had a bit of a car wreck yesterday, nobody hurt, but Fulukas was "old boys" with the police man so the other driver was threatened to be arrested). Corruptness went our way this time. Of the three orphanage directors we have met so far, one named Collins was absolutely incredible. I can honestly say throughout all of my travels I have never seen an orphanage like this one. It was started and is run by four street children who were raised at an orphanage themselves. They are in their late 20's-early 30's and have such a passion to make a difference in every child. It is evident very in the artwork they create, the faces of the children, their cultural dancing, and their spirits. The only problem is that the 31 children and 4 workers sleep in a very small, dirty room together. On the floor. Kristen was astonished by how filthy their blankets were. No running water, no kitchen, no dining area. Their clothes are rags. The thing that amazed me was that the director, Collins, was proud of what they have. He held his head high when showing their outdoor cooking area that consisted of a few logs burning to keep 2 pots of beans and rice warm. He was so excited about the wood carvings the children create and detailed the process for me. I have never been so humbled. All of their funding comes from performances of traditional dances the children do and the sale of their artwork... sound familiar? After we left we walked through the slums of Kampala to see where these children came from. It is not something you can't really describe with words. Absolutely horrendous conditions. The smell, the trash, the danger. This is where Collins came from and now he is a proud leader of 31 orphans. Humbling to say the least. --Rebecca
