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Johan’s diary – 13th of September
7:15 I wake up, and have not slept much because of the thunder and rain, combined with back pain since the bumpy journey in the bad seats and a sore buttock from my little somersault yesterday. Sleeping matt and that was not an optimal combination. For breakfast, I have rice pudding with raspberries and coffee again, an amazingly good breakfast, fills me up. Thinking a bit on yesterday’s happy and grateful faces from the little sugar, soap and toothpaste that we delivered, unlike in Sweden where we take so much for granted and the gratitude that we do have is rare! Very thoughtful, I feel!
8:30 I get up to the Home of Hope for inspection and consider what the best, fastest and cheapest way to build it up is. Especially with the earthquakes I want to make it as safe as possible. The building stands just as when I left it in May, only a little greener around.
9:30 Going to meet Shyam and Karma, we move on to the school buildings where we stored everything we had with us yesterday, the buildings are condemned as a schoolhouse so the school is conducted in a tent on a small field nearby. We distribute all the balls, notebooks, pencils, games, whiteboards and teddies so we should be able to hand them out. We intend to help three schools in addition to the two in Ratankots.
10:30 Now we’re handing out teddy bears, notebooks and pencils, which go out to approximately 170 happy babies. When all of the children have their stuff we give out balls, nets, games, whiteboards, and Frisbees for teachers. The order also varies with medicine and plasters. In total we distribute:
– 170 large Bruins
– 850 notebooks
– 340 pencils
– 10 footballs
– 10 volleyballs
– 4 Volleyball nets
– 30 Frisbees
There are many happy and grateful children and teachers!
12:00 Lunch, which consists of a freeze-dried omelette, water and coffee.
13:00 Goes to Shyam, we pick up some medications in the cabinet we bought last time I was here, after this replenishment, it looks like a small pharmacy and we will pass out to the villages (also part of the neighbouring villages) needs in a number of months. Feels great that Shyam has taken on the role as the village’s “nurse”.
14:00 We go to HoH to plan the repair work.
15:30 On the way back there two teenage girls who ask shyly if there was a teddy bear for them too, of course we will do it and so it was a happy day for them. I walk around and take pictures of the village life.
16:00 I boil a cup of coffee and do a few little sketchs of designs and solutions for HOH.
17:00 I go and take a look at some of the guys playing soccer with the new balls, then go and wash off in “my” waterfall and take some more pictures of life in Ratankot.
18:00 I get back to the tent, and crawl into it since there are lots of mosquitoes in the evening, and write in my diary.
19:00 Now dinner, today there will be chicken, which tastes great.
21:30 I crawl into my sleeping bag, hoping to sleep better tonight.
It was all from this glorious and joyful Sunday