Saturday 2.14.09

Yesterday morning I passed on the opportunity to go to the juvenile detention center with Thelma, Jennifer, and Chelsea. I needed sleep, and took advantage of having to quiet alone time. While she was there Jennifer went to visit a boy named Issu. He has been released from Juvie, but stays there because he has nowhere else to go. He is currently taking computer classes nearby, but has run out of money to pay for them. Jennifer and I pooled a bit of our money this afternoon, and paid the 400,000tsh he needs to be able to finish school. I feel really good about it. Jennifer said she noticed the change in his confidence in just the last year, and he is also taking what he learns in the classroom back to Juvie, and teaches all of the boys there. I'm all for paying it back, and he's done a good job. Hopefully we will continue to receive updates on him.
In the evening we were sitting in our hotel dining room, and invited our neighbor, Alethea, to join us for dinner so that she wasn't eating alone. She works with an HIV/AIDS awareness organization (www.mildmay.org) based out of the UK, but funded by the US. She comes here to teach HIV/AIDS workers, and to organize testing centers and information. It was really great to be able to talk with her so in depth. It really got me thinking about things I want to do for next year. With the families I have this year I would really like to do basic health education information, as well as offering them HIV/AIDS testing and awareness classes. I will hopefully be in touch with her over the next year to arrange all of this, and to make sure that in the event someone does test positive they will receive the appropriate counseling and information.

Today was really fun. We stopped over at Tuleeni for their valentines day party. There was dancing (ok, not so much dancing on my part), food, and a lot of really cute kids. The girls put on a Miss Tuleeni pageant that was totally cute. They had a soda drinking contest, and an apple bobbing contest. For prizes the kids received school work books and math kits. Doesn't sound so exciting, but they were really happy to have them. It was another totally fun but exhausting day. I am excited for our last home visits tomorrow, but am looking forward to being back in my apartment. However, I am not looking forward to the bag of garbage that I forgot to take out before I left. I'm wishing I had maybe left a couple of windows open :/