I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR 4 WEEKS

Well, it is Sunday again. It is hard to believe I have been here a month already. Time proceeds differently here. It is hard to explain so I won’t try but the days just melt away.

It has been a busy week so I am glad to have some down time. This is the week that a production company is coming to film our project. I am not sure what to expect. I had wanted to lose 50 lbs before they came, but that of course did not happen (if only I had gotten Malaria—oh maybe not) Anyway what will be, will be. I will let you know.



There are so many little things that make this such a different culture from ours. The adults have so much pride in how things look is a great example. Their clothes are always clean and pressed. How they manage to wear the same shirt for a week and still look neat (although not smell that neat) is something that escapes me. I become a grimy sweat ball soon after my morning shower and stay that way until my afternoon shower! (but I think I smell OK! At least! I hope!)

There are many more examples that would have you shaking your head, but really who is to say they are wrong! Really, it is just different. I am also starting to think that when you try to change even a small thing, it can be a cascade effect with some very unexpected results. I am thinking about the school yard. As you know it is the rainy season and water was collecting in the yard. It bothered me, so I asked if there could be grass planted. No, it needed to be filled with red slimy when wet letrite clay. Making the biggest mess I have ever seen taking 2 whole days to complete. So then I think maybe we should cover the clay with sand, so we do and when it rains we still have a huge puddle in the middle of the school yard, although it does drain a bit faster than it did. I still think we need grass as do some of the teachers, but I have asked that it will not happen while I am still here. I can only take so much!!

I have dropped the idea of a library/study center for now. Instead Tomorrow’s Stars will hire a person so the library at the High School can stay open after school as the government will only pay for the librarian until 3pm. I am very happy about this as many of our day students need extra time to study. Tomorrow’s Stars is also going to buy extra text books for the library to enrich what they get in classes. We are also going to supply much needed African novels for the students to read. There are some books in the library, but not much is relevant to the students here. Once again, buying items here is so much better on so many levels. We also are paying a few of our new High School grads to tutor but our first year HS students and the soon to be “freshman”.


Here are a few of my little friends, who can make me smile no matter what is going on!