Christams with the boys

We arrived at the centre on the morning and all the boys from Mikindani and Kikambala were there waiting for us. They didn’t know if we had any plans for them (as it was a surprise) and their faces looked a bit bored.

We placed the Christmas presents in the dining hall and started blowing some balloons to make the venue more joyful. We invited all the boys in the room and told them whenever they hear their name to come and collect their present. Before I started calling their names the boys started singing ‘We wish you a Merry Christmas’ moving the balloons with their hands up in the air.

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As Easter Sunday approached the volunteers spent the week incorporating Easter based activities into their shifts. These activities ranged from making Easter cards and paper-mache eggs, to egg painting and Easter quizzes. Both the Mikindani and Kikambala boys enjoyed getting involved.

“You want to make them happy? Give them food!” That what I heard after asking the member of staff what we can do to make the boys happy. That is true. Eating rice and beans or ughali and beans most of the days is not a fun.

One day, 3 other volunteers and myself, we bought live chickens in the village and brought them to the Centre. The boys were so excited. They knew how to prepare and cook them. I was so impressed, I did not have a clue what to do with them. We are all used to ready cleaned or packed meat from Tesco or Sainsbury. I felt like typical ignorant and realised how modern western life is making us useless. We had so much fun that day! So….the following week we arranged to do the same thing but this time with a goat. Read the rest of this entry »