Thursday-Miskaye

Now it's your turn to visit an orphanage!  Today we are going to Miskaye Children's Welfare orphanage in Addis Ababa.  There's a place for you in the back of the 14 passenger van.  Not crowded, but a little hot at times and definitely a little bumpy.  There is a strong smell of exhaust fumes you are probably not used to. Make sure you bring your drinking water along; we will be out all day.  You can hold the "bag of fun," with the activities we want to share with the children.  

Watch out the window on the way-you will see little stores along the street selling anything from fruit to household items like sleeping pads.  You might see butcher shops with large sides of fresh meat hanging in them.  Look, there is Bridgestone Tire!  Over there is a place to have your hair done-inside you can see a chart on the wall showing the different hairstyles that are available.  People are out and about, and still dressed in their good clothes since this is the day after Christmas.  There is quite a bit of traffic, with no clear traffic rules or pattern.  Everyone is just heading to their destination and trying to let the other vehicles do the same-like a mixture of look-out-for-yourself and let-the-other-guy-go, that somehow seems to work without much honking and with apparently few accidents.  See the dirt roads leading off the main road into residential areas with tiny houses, almost all within a locked gate.  Some of the neighborhoods, while still with small homes, have satellite dishes on several roofs.  We will pass by an area of homes that can really only be called shelters.  Tarps suspended on sticks.  You might see some boxes made out of scrap pieces of metal roofing.  They are up off the ground on little stilts.  Maybe they are like lockers, a place for some of the people living on the streets to keep their possessions.

Oh my!  Now we are going through a dirt alley which is just a little bigger than one lane, with rocks on either side and a large truck parked in it.  Listen to Destaw, our driver, holler at the truck driver to see if he will move.  He says we can make it past.  It sure doesn't look like it, but Destaw is willing to give it a try.  Wow!  We made it through with literally only inches to spare.  Hold your nose-now that we are past the truck we can tell it is a sewage truck.  Destaw keeps on amazing us with his driving skills.

We are stopped.  Timar, the social worker for the orphanage gets on board and rides the last bit of the way with us.  As we get out of the van and go through the gate, we hear children singing, and as we get close, we can hear what they are singing, "Welcome!  We are so happy you are here!..."  Come around the corner - there they are - 14 boys and girls in several neat rows, smiling and singing with gusto.  How awesome!  Don't you feel special that they are singing for you?  

The children are shuffled off to their schoolroom, and Timar takes us in to see the little ones.  First stop, toddler playroom.  Look, is that Horton Hears a Who they are watching?  It looks like it, but it is in Amharic and the reception is a little fuzzy.  Say hello!  Squat down and touch some hands.  Be sure to smile big :).  

We can come back later to visit some more.  Now we are going upstairs to see the little babies.  There are 5 in a room with cribs around the periphery and one nanny sitting on a large mat in the middle, holding one of the little guys.  His nose is running, but she is quick to wipe it.  She tries to put him down, but he cries everytime.  Do you want to hold this sweet little girl?  She is 6 months old, with sweet little bare feet and a happy smile.  I think she likes you!  Look at the little one clinging to Israel, our guide.  Israel says that her mother was 15 years old and that her father was not around, so her mother relinquished her to the orphanage because she couldn't take care of her.  All of these babies have been matched with adoptive families!

Check out the photo on the wall above one of the toddler cribs in the other room.  It's a smiling man and woman, must be that one's new mommy and daddy.  How sweet is that?  

Come back down stairs now.  We are heading out to see the older children again.  As we approach the free-standing school room, we hear them reciting English numbers.  Do you see that little one pointing to a number chart with a stick from outside?  He points to each number in turn and says the name of the number, and then the class repeats it.  "One, one; two, two; three, three; etc."  They once again are speaking with great volume and apparent enthusiasm.  Come on in and sit down at one of the bench desks with some of the children.  They're singing for us again!  Joy to the World; Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star; Baa Baa Black Sheep.  So fun to hear them sing in English!  Pretty sure they are still learning the individual words and what the song means.

Now we will sing for them-you know these songs!  Jingle Bells, Away in a Manger, Jesus Loves the Little Children, He's Got the Whole World in His Hands.  They must think we are a little silly.  Go get the "bag of fun."  It has crayons and coloring books.  We can color together.  If you want, you can go back and hold babies or play with toddlers instead.  Let's just spend time together with the children.  

These children are super polite.  They sit quietly and color.  They share, and don't speak unless they are spoken to.  Can you get Bona to talk?  I've been sitting beside him coloring, trying my best to get him to speak or smile, but he must be too shy.  Next to him is Selam.  She is more outgoing. 

Try out those rocket balloons!  Now the kids are warming up and laughing!  The balloons go spinning up into the air and around the room willy nilly.  What fun!  Will decides to try it outside.  The first outside balloon goes up, up, up and over the wall to parts unknown!  

Lunchtime for the children.  Come out into the courtyard.  You can learn to roast the raw coffee beans for the coffee ceremony.  You can even wear a traditional scarf and sit on the little stool!  Don't you love the smell of the roasting beans?

Try the Ethiopian food.  Take your rolled up injera bread and spread it out on your plate.  They will put the meat dishes on top of it, and you can tear off pieces of the bread to use to pick up the food and get it to your mouth.  Try not to make a mess!  A little spicy, but delicious, right?  So kind of them to share food and coffiee with us.

Look!  The little ones are dancing to music on a speaker here in the courtyard!  They have the moves!  Some of this is part of their regional music and dance-many of the children here are from the north part of Ethiopia, with a different culture than those from Addis.  They are all amazing dancers!

Time to say goodbye.  What a great visit!  We are supposed to go to another site where they have a "read and feed" program now, but maybe you are tired.  How 'bout you rest-we can take you there tomorrow!