UPDATE FROM WEST AFRICA
05/01/09 21:22
One
of the boys with AIDS died here recently. They
wrapped his little body in a blanket and Isabel
brought each child into the room where he lay, so
they could say goodbye to him. Mysteriously, all of
the children with Aids lined up first, even though
most of them don’t know or understand that they
have AIDS. However, they do know that their friend
here died of AIDS, and they all know that another
older boy, who they are all very fond of, also has
Aids. They would ask ‘will he also die because
we don’t want him to, he is a great friend of
ours.’ A boy came into the office and shared my
chair as I was writing this; he was just such a
delightful little guy with so much potential, a great
artist. It was heartbreaking to find out that this is
the boy that the others were asking about.
There are so many heartrending stories here, but it is a beautiful place full of beautiful people. There are 140 orphans here, it is overcrowded and they sometimes have to turn children away, but they never turn away newly born babies where the mother has died in childbirth. (Often if you turn these babies away they will kill them as there is no one to take care of them – this is a country where they carry out abortions up to eight months.) Isabel is the lady who runs this orphanage, and also the new hospital, she is an amazing lady. She is starting plans to build houses in three villages. Read More...
There are so many heartrending stories here, but it is a beautiful place full of beautiful people. There are 140 orphans here, it is overcrowded and they sometimes have to turn children away, but they never turn away newly born babies where the mother has died in childbirth. (Often if you turn these babies away they will kill them as there is no one to take care of them – this is a country where they carry out abortions up to eight months.) Isabel is the lady who runs this orphanage, and also the new hospital, she is an amazing lady. She is starting plans to build houses in three villages. Read More...