World AIDS day

 
Whenever there was music, the kids had to dance…

On the occasion of the world AIDS day last Wednesday, TONO (Tanzania Orphans Network Organisation), a cooperation of seven Dar es Salaam orphanages organised an event. Purpose of it should be to first of all raise the awareness for HIV/Aids amongst the Tanzanian population, but also provide a day “out in the green” for the kids, with food, games and some community service. Thanks to the cooperation we have started to establish with UMRA orphanage, help2kids was invited to participate as well. As a thank you for that, we decided to sponsor the tents that were built up to provide some shade to the attendants. Being there as a “special guest”, I had the honour to be seated in the “VIP” area with all the chairmans of the several orphanages as well as some other guest that seemed to be even more important than I. Nevertheless I enjoyed it very much, until that moment the moderator mentioned our organisation and my name. Still not being fluent in Swahili, I didn’t get what he was talking about, but from the gestures of several people around me I realised that everybody expected me to “go on stage” and hold a speach. Well prepared, of course, and in my nicest adidas-shorts and flip-flops I had to hold a speach and thanked for the hospitality. Apart from that little event however the event was very pleasant and everybody enjoyed it to the full. The only regeret was that we were not able to have our “own” kids there, but also thanks to the connections we have to the other orphanages I am sure we will see the first kids moving in next week.

Also, our house fills up again – Grace, Patrick and Osman have returned from their holiday in Malawi (their homecountry), and as already mentioned last Friday, our Mama Leah has started to work for help2kids. A warm “karibu sana” to her. I hope I can keep her busy with a lot of children soon :-).

Good weekend!

Tobias