BACK TO PROJECT
Morgan’s Diary – February 9, 2017
Morgan’s Diary – February 9, 2017
Today has been a very long and productive day! Kaylee and I started the day by going to the school to have a meeting with the headmaster and Shyam to decide on what food to give the school children for lunch. As well, Shyam, Kaylee and I made a few suggestions to the teachers how to discipline the children instead of hitting them if they do wrong in the class. Once we finished at the school, Kaylee and I went back to Home of Hope. Babu and Ayuss, our two workers helping to build the green house started working early this morning. Kaylee and I joined them. We helped to put the bamboo poles into the holes we dug yesterday, fill with rocks and make sure that every bamboo pole was straight and the same height. Then Kaylee and I would carry over cement on plates to fill in the holes. We ran out of cement at one point so I went up the mountain a little to get more sand to mix. I tried the baskets the Nepalese village people carry using the top of their heads. I took seven loads of sand down to Home of Hope. It was not as heavy as I thought it would be. However, I feel that it would be a lot of work if I were going uphill.
I had a lot of fun working with Babu and Ayuss today as Kaylee and I tried to learn Nepalese. Both Babu and Ayuss would laugh at our attempts to pronounce different words. It made the work feel like it went quicker and we all had a lot of fun during. I find it so interesting to work alongside people who don’t speak the same language as me because it forces me to find a different way of communicating. It also teaches me that even though I may not be able to communicate in full sentences, that I can still communicate through hand motions and using very few words and short sentences.
We managed to get all bamboo poles in the holes and covered with cement. The progress on the green house is going much quicker than I had anticipated since everyone is working so hard! At 3:00 toady the power finally came on! I was so relieved since I haven’t been able to charge anything for two days. It is really difficult for the children to study in the evening when there is no power, as there are not enough light for all children. The power is very undependable here as it can go off at any moment in the day and you have no idea when it will be back on. Once we finished the labor part of the day, all the children came home from school. I told the children that I had a surprise for them once they finished their homework. They were all very excited. I was sitting outside with Aren and noticed that he was having a hard time concentrating on his studies since there were many other children studying out loud around him. I suggested that we go and study in his room where he could concentrate better and I could help him. He had to learn five different facts about computers. I quizzed him, and even got Hari Krishna who is in the same grade as him to quiz each other. Both Hari and Aren learned the five facts. I was very proud of them as they helped each other to learn. I hope that they will continue to quiz each other on their homework and work together in the future with their studies. We played a little with all children outside after they finished their homework and I read Monica Hellström’s letter that she wrote to all children. They were all so excited to listen and loved looking at the pictures Monica had sent.
Next Kaylee gave the globe she had bought with her donated money to all the children. They were all excited to see where Nepal was. We showed them where we live and come from, and where Thandiwe Mazibuko comes from. They all remembered here as she was here for the inauguration of Home of Hope. As soon as I said Thandiwe’s name all the children started to sing the song Shosholoza. This is a South African folk song that Thandiwe taught the children while she was here in Nepal. Before dinner I was able to hand out sponsor letters to five children, Radhika, Aren, Bishek, Hari and Shree. I handed them out individually and read them all to the children while Asha translated for me. They all sat there listening closely and even responded out loud to some of the questions that were asked in the letters. It was so cute after dinner, because all the boys pulled me into their room so that I could help them to write a letter back to their sponsor. I thought it was amazing how quickly the children became attached to their sponsor and cared about them. It was so great with the photos of the sponsors, so that the children could see what they looked like. The children especially loved photos of their sponsors animals.
This evening I also got a chance to give out the hand knit sweaters that three women Elisabeth, Vanja, and Inga – Lill from Mariestad, Sweden knit for the Home of Hope children. They all loved the sweaters so much and I know that they will keep the children warm as it is quite cold during the night here. Today has been a very long and hard day, but at the same time it’s had so many special moments in it. I feel so happy to be around the children, play with them and see their faces light up with joy throughout the day. It is so amazing to be here and watch them grow, develop and be loving children. I feel so honored to be able to help these children and give them the future they deserve.
Morgan Young
Lööf Foundation representative
