Yatima Group Trust Fund Orphanage in Dar

After I blogged today, I went to the ATM again (hope springs eternal). I got $100 (Yeah!), and then tried for another $100. Oops. The machine popped up with this message: “Your card has been confiscated.” I went inside and they told me to check back in a week, maybe two. I leave in two days for Ghana. I just had to walk away. No more ATM card in Africa.

Luckily, Gabriel was able to get out another $500 for me (600,000 shillings). Then, I got the good news from the Foundation President, Mark, that he was able to get me the money through Western Union (probably stood in line at Safeway for hours). HOORAY! We can pay the women who feed us, and I will have a little left over to get to Ghana. Word to the wise…if you travel to Africa, bring a wheelbarrow full of American dollars.

Had a great day with the JGI kids. Their PSAs (as expected) are out of this world. We’ll post a couple when we get to Ghana. They are so far ahead that we’ll just get to relax and have fun tomorrow…our last day with them.

We have a big evening cocktail reception with many local dignitaries and the press tomorrow night. The students will show their films and receive their certificates. This was the first thing they asked about (certificates) when we arrived. VERY important to them.

At 5:00 today, Gabriel, Jaime, and I got in a cab with our driver Dr. John. (Andy had to go to the doctor to get his ears cleaned out…long story, I’ll let him explain if, I mean WHEN, he blogs next). We headed out through the city, and it took us an hour to get about 20 blocks. Once we crossed the train tracks, we were definitely in the poorest area of Dar. Miles and miles of shanty homes and roadside shacks doing business. There were thousands of schoolchildren and thousands more adults walking home. The businesses were selling all manner of food and drink, and people sat around fires on small plastic chairs just enjoying the evening.
About 2 ½ hours later (7:30) we arrived at the orphanage (we were supposed to be there at 6:00), but the adventure getting there was fun. We got lost about 12 times, and the driver kept stopping for directions. Everyone gave us different information. JUST as I was about to give up, we found ourselves on a winding dirt road going to the countryside. FINALLY, we saw our group! They had waited for us and had not eaten yet. We said our hellos, gave them Flip video cameras to play with, and let them eat. I sat with them as Gabriel filmed. Jaime met a new best friend...the sweetest, cutest three-year-old you’ll ever meet (see Shutterfly photos). The boy clung to Jaime for the entire two-hour visit. Watch out Madonna, I think Jaime has a new son.

We took a few girls to one of the orphanage buildings to show us around. Gabriel filmed. We saw the rooms and then checked out the bathrooms and showers. All of it functioned well, but it was bare-bones and in need of repair. You need lanterns to get around so the kids spend much time in the dark there. They ranged in age from two months to about 18 years. They were so grateful for the food, and you could see their glee at eating a hot meal and drinking Fanta. As I sat with them, I saw the older kids take over. When someone finished eating, the older ones took that person's plate. If there was any food left over what-so-ever, they passed the plate to someone who still looked hungry. Every plate was clean.

When we came back after filming in the rooms, our estimable hosts Erasto and Felix had started a fun contest. Some of the younger kids had lined up in the dirt and the other 100 or so made a circle. They took turns “dancing” a specific step for about 50 feet. They would hold their arms in, kick out, do some quick kick-ball-steps, and then slide slowly before starting all over again. It was so cool and rhythmic. Everyone cheered loudly, and a winner was announced. Good times.

I closed the evening (they are really big on speech-i-fying here) and thanked them all for making me laugh all night. I told them that the only gift I could give them back was to make them laugh, too. So, I told them to make a circle, grabbed the winner of the contest, and asked him to show me how to do the orphan’s shuffle. They all laughed riotously when I managed to make a complete fool of myself. I think it was the right thing to do.

Seeing all of these kids (who have been abandoned or lost both parents to AIDS) still laugh and enjoy themselves really does warm the heart. The people who run the place are doing the best they can with limited resources. You really do just want to take them all home so that they can gain weight and enjoy the company of adults for more than ten minutes at a time. I loved every second of being with them and wished I could have spent the night.

We finish up with the kids tomorrow morning, then have our video pen pal conferences at 5:00pm our time with two classes in Louisiana. One in Belle Chasse, and one in Lake Charles. We filmed welcome messages from the kids in Tanzania for the kids in Louisiana…Paul is doing the same in Belle Chasse. You can see the welcome messages on YouTube: http://youtube.com/profile?user=JGIdar.

We’ll report in on the last day and the pen pal conferences from Ghana on Sunday.

Quickly: Ghana is going to be emotional, fair warning. We’re making movies with kids who have been sold into slavery. Lisa did a show on these kids recently on Oprah (that is how I got the contact information). Lisa met a kid named Never who showed her around, and he will be in our class. When Lisa asked him what he wanted before she left, he asked for her Pringles can so that his sister could use it for chores. These kids have been sold into slavery to the fishermen in the North. They work 18 hour days and eat one small meal a day. The International Organization for Migration sponsors a rehabilitation center for kids who have been rescued. These are the kids we’ll be working with. They are making movies about how much better their lives are now that they’re back.

More from Ghana. Tanzania has been phenomenal.

Erik