Free

Day 5:

For the beginning of the day, we worked on reorganizing donation bags. The second half was spent at the Cradle of Love Orphanage. A large, extremely well kept facility housing around thirty infants and toddlers who have been abandoned.

Little feet waddled across the floor, and tiny hands grabbed my hair. For two hours, we fed, cuddled, and carried babies. One little girl named Witness clung to me for a good hour, spitting porridge on me and trying to suck on the strings of my hoodie. I danced around the patio outside with Witness, swaying and spinning her around. She often would stare at me and then say, “Datadadada,” which I would then repeat. I also walked around while clicking my tongue, which she enjoyed harmonizing with.

At the end of our visit, everyone gathered outside, babies on our hips, and watched monkeys swing from tree to tree. We piled into the car, our backs aching and our arms sore.

                                       

Day 6:

            Today was the day we started the athletic program for three orphanages. But instead of going with the group, I went on a home visit with Lisa Marie.

There is a young eleven year old boy named Benard who attends LOAMO school. Before now, Benard was working odd jobs, trying to help provide for himself and Aunt. His father had died and his mother abandoned him. A couple found him and offered to take him in and pay for his education, as long as he would “help around the house”. Benard has been a slave for the couple for two years now. Every morning, he would milk and feed the cows, feed the chickens, clean the house, and prepare food. Instead of sleeping in a room in the considerably large sized house, he would sleep in a small shack (no bigger than a dog house) out back. The couple not only forced him into labor, but would torture him every day.

Their intentions were to keep Benard as a slave and “pay” for his education for two years. By pay, I mean they have Maria (the head of the school) donate everything to Benard, and actually pay nothing. When the two years were up, they would tell Benard that he now owed them, and he would never be able to leave.

Social Services wouldn’t help (this happens all the time), and Benard’s two brothers couldn’t help. The only reason they never came for Benard, was because he was so determined to get an education that he would not leave the couple, who kept him in school.

So Lisa Marie made a plan for Benard to run away and meet us at LOAMO, where we would pick him up and take him to his brothers’ house in the slums about thirty minutes away.

            Lisa Marie, our taxi driver Bob, and I pulled into LOAMO. Benard stood a little ways away, with nothing but his clothes and a smile. The woman he had stayed with had taken his small box of belongings, thinking Benard wouldn’t leave if he had nothing but the clothes on his back. His mission was not hindered, he remained determined to start his new life.

We picked up Mr. Kimaro, a teacher from the school, with Benard, and began our project. A half an hour drive out of town brought us to the village where his two brothers, John and Rezeke, live. On the ride down, Lisa Marie asked when Benard’s birthday is. “I don’t know,” he said quietly. So we agreed that today, August 4^th, the day that Benard started his new life, was his birthday.

We found John at the restaurant where he works, and walked in the slums toward his house.

We walked through a creaking wooden door into an open space filled with clothes lines and multiple doors leading into different houses. We walked through another door leading to John’s house. The “house” was a single room, smaller than a common American bathroom. A twin sized bed (that John and Rezeke share) with a single blanket and no pillows was settled in a corner.

On the other side of the room in two corners were two piles of clothes (each only about two outfits) belonging to the two brothers. A miniscule burner, as well as a few buckets of water, were also placed in one of the corners. This is all they have. Not a single pen. No paper or books. Nothing on the walls or floors. The only “extra” thing they had was a box of matches on the windowsill.

No matter how few the possessions, the environment remained the same. For the first time in his life, Benard was in a home where he would be loved. No amount of pillows or blankets could compare to the life he was about to live. No bed or piece of furniture. No luxury or privilege. Absolutely nothing was needed in that house. Because there were three brothers who loved each other. Who fed, clothed, and hugged each other every single day. The feeling of a family radiated from each of them – and that’s more than any material possession could do.

We talked with John about the safety of the area, and he assured us that Benard was completely safe, and very welcome to stay. We also made a plan to go back into town and buy Benard a bed, sheets, a blanket, pillows, a uniform, a towel, and a mosquito net for his new home.

I have a newfound appreciation for one-stop-shopping. We drove all over the markets of Arusha, trying to find the best prices and best material. It took several different shops to find everything we were looking for.

We finally got back to the house with all our supplies. With the help of Mr. Kimaro, Lisa Marie, John, Benard, and me, we were able to assemble the new bed (with the help of some local welders, considering two of the parts didn’t fit) that we could fit between one of the walls, and the foot of the brothers’ bed. We went through a large donation bag for Benard, and had him try on new shoes, showed him how to use deodorant, and fumbled through all his new school supplies. Of the three pillows we bought (one for each brother), Benard chose his favorite.

Once finished with the bed’s assembly, the mattress, pillow, and blanket were fitted on (although the mattress was too small and we later had to go back into town for a new one.) Benard hastily climbed into bed. Wrapping the blanket tightly around himself. Benard’s first bed. It took us a few minutes to coax him out of the blanket enough to take a picture.

            Two years of waking up early. Two years of no bed, food, or clothes. Two years of torture. Two whole years of being a slave. And he’s finally free.

Free to sleep in and have a bed. Free to go outside and play. Free to go to school and study. Eleven year old, huge-smiled Benard, who had been enslaved and tortured for two years just so he could go to school – is finally free.

Day 7:

            Today was the second day at the athletic program (my first because the previous day I had spent with Benard.)

The camp is held from 10:00 to 3:00 at “Maasai Camp”, and involves around thirty children. There are four stations, gymnastics, soccer, dance, and boot camp. Sarah and I were the two leaders for the soccer station.

For the entire day, we played passing drills, teaching the kids different ways to pass. The four groups that rotated through brought new challenges each time: all the kids wanted to do was punt the ball or scrimmage. But as time went on, it became easier to easier to get control.

By the end of the day, the kids were all focused, and ready to learn more tomorrow.

Day 8:

            Today we continued working at the athletic program. Scott, Camryn, Jake and I left early to set up our stations at nine.

I attached one end of a square mosquito net to a clothes line with bobbi pins to make a goal, and laid out cones for different drills.

Throughout the day, the four groups of kids rotated through our stations, and Sarah and I had them practice their skills on juggling, tricks, and shooting. Every group was having a great time, until my second to last group. Everything was chaos for three kids, Caro, Vincent, and Brian. They were running away, punting the ball, and talking among themselves. By the end of the hour, we had them somewhat under control, but they left me exhausted.

            An eleven year old boy named Kelven has held my attention for the past two days. He tries his absolute hardest at every single activity, always wants to help me, and is an amazing soccer player. Always laughing and smiling, he chases the ball everywhere.

After camp and our end of the day meditation, Karlie asked all the kids to hug five people before they left. I stood up and immediately Kelven was in my arms .We hugged for a long time, until he finally broke away smiling and said, “See you tomorrow.”