An Emotional Wreck

I am an emotional wreck today. I think I wrote about Stephanie, one of the volunteers, that is helping to get two young boys moved into an orphanage and enrolled at Epico-Johns which is the grade school run by Mama Betty. They were orphaned about two years ago and their uncle has been caring for them. He was one of the people enrolled in my first EMPOWER class. The parents died within about a year of each other. The boys are 10 and 6. The youngest was burned on various parts of his body, including his face. The burns, although a bit disfiguring, aren’t quite as bad as I anticipated.

I offered to take Stephanie and the social worker to pick the boys up. The social worker had to do a final interview to see that the children were truly orphaned and that the extended family was unable to support them. It was a no brainer. The father had even mentioned that he tries to make sure they eat at least once a day. Their home was very modest and housed an extended family of 8 including the boys.

Humphreys, the uncle, has tried to care for the boys but he just can’t afford it. Although he was happy for the opportunity, I could tell that it was a bittersweet experience for him. His eyes seemed a bit watery at times but he maintained his composure. Stephanie had some donated clothes that were good for Moses and Joseph. In addition, she had new t-shirts for Humphreys’ biological children.

After about an hour interview with the social worker it was time to leave. Humphreys polished a pair of black shoes and put on a suit that was a bit too big and a bit tattered if you looked closely. In Kenya , both men and women tend to have at least one formal outfit that they can wear for church or special occasions. I’m sure that this was the one outfit that served that function.

The drive back to the main road was a bit quiet. I knew how I was feeling, but I wondered what was going through the heads of each of 6 other people in the car with me. I had already shed some tears as we walked to the car. It was the first time that Moses, the 6 year old, had ever been in a car. The dirt road back to the main road was 12 miles long. They definitely live in the interior.

The trip from the main road back to the orphanage is about another 18-20 miles. The orphanage is very clean and bright. Each bedroom has 4 beds. We made the children’s beds and they both had smiles on their faces. I didn’t see any beds when we were at their home so my guess is that they just slept on mats. Stephanie took them outside to the water pump where they brushed their teeth with a toothbrush for the first time. The uncle will be able to visit on the first weekend of each month so there is still a guardian right maintained.

As we left the uncle gave the boys a little talk. The case worker was explaining that he was telling the boys to be strong and study hard. He explained that it was a wonderful opportunity and that they were in good hands while he would be away. I had to get in the car as I was having the tears roll. Fortunately, I didn’t break down into loud sobbing.

We took the uncle by the school so he could see it and then we took him into Bungoma so that we could have lunch together before he caught a matatu home. We went to Coffee Garden which is one of the popular restaurants that are safe for the stomachs of mzungus (Caucasians). It’s not extravagant. For instance, I get beef and chips (beef and fries) for 120 shillings or about $1.80. He said that he’s never been in a restaurant like it before. Mama Betty was in town and she joined us. It was good because she was able to tell him more about the school and how she would be able to look after the children as well.

I am still a bundle of emotions as I think back to both today and my time here in Kenya . We, as Americans, are privileged beyond our wildest dreams. That is not to say that we do not have poverty because we certainly do. However, I don’t think it is ever to the degree it is here. I think I’m going to just end here for now. I’m on the verge of breaking down again and don’t feel like doing it in a room full of people typing on computers. Just make sure that each of you reading this counts your blessings for the day and not your woes. Do something good for someone less deserving as you reap great reap untold rewards. And finally, tell those near you how much they matter because they may not be there for you tomorrow or the day after or a year or ten years from now.