Every Wednesday I volunteer at Boma Rescue - a day center for youth who have been orphaned or run away from home at some time. The center incorporates counseling, studies, recreation and cultural dance. The key thing about Boma is it is a place where kids can be kids, be cared for and feel safe. Eventually after a year of rehabilitation Boma Rescue will work to find funds to sponsor the children to return to school.
Trying to describe the feeling the kids a Boma gave me I thought of 'happy tears' in the past.
Happy because the kids are (generally) so happy and making leaps and bounds in their personal development and studies. Tears because I know these things were stolen from them for far to long - taken at the hands of others.
Today I only feel pride when I think of the kids at Boma.
They have truly risen to the opportunity and are developing into bright thinkers with good character. While the challenges outside the walls of Boma rescue will surely bring many struggles I feel so compelled to believe they will continue to strive to rise to the many occasions ahead with a light heart, passion and confidence.
Quickly I will speak about what exactly I do at Boma Rescue.
1. Home visits. I travel with one of their two social workers to the houses of the youth that are attending Boma Rescue to assess the living situation and what role the family (sometimes youth return to their homes or may live with their aunts,uncles or grandparents). Sometimes we have to travel for around 45-1hr on foot to arrive at the houses of the youth (a trip they take twice every day).
2. School visits. We have visited St.Vincent de Paul's school to check on the attendance of the youth who had passed through Boma Rescue and been sponsored to go to school. *There were about 40 at this school that had passed through Boma Rescue*. We have also visited a school that the head of Boma Rescue is on the Board of directors with and spent the day with them. This is a non formal school. Like some others I have visited, was made of scrap metal with cardboard walls. This school was also unique as it a co-op project between the families and the teachers.
3. Recreation/HAVING FUN :) Today we played the game where you have to move from one side of the field to the other with your team using only a few mats and not stepping off them as you move towards the finish line. (this may only make sense to the people who have played the game). The best part about it was we had to play with news paper pages... which were ripped into small pieces by the time teams neared the finish line and were often found blowing in the wind, adding a whole new challenge! This of course is just one of the fun activities. Tire races, tire hopping, running races, human tug-of-war, some crazy long-jump like game and make believe house play are also favorites.
4. Cultural Dance. Originally this was just straight out embarrassing. Yes, I got laughed at a lot for my inability to shake my tush and wiggle my hips in African style. But now it is one of my favorite parts of the day. The youth at Boma Rescue absolutely love dancing so I am so happy to join in and it is one very good work out!
( I guess that wasn't as quickly as you may have hoped, but believe me I could go on forever about this place and the youth)
Beautiful Child: Internally Displaced Person. Following the post election violence this AMAZING child was separated from both of his parents. He is not sure if they are alive of not but he has not been in contact with them since nor does he know where they may be. He had been homeless for 3 years and was found sleeping in a gutter.
Beautiful Child: After his mother attempted to commit suicide without success she then attempted to poison her family. The one Beautiful child discovered that his mom had poisoned their food he stopped his family from eating it. The mom has now left but before doing so threatened negative action to the child who had spotted her.
Beautiful Child: Mother has HIV and father has passed away. The fathers parents (child's grandparents) which to inherit the child (potentially for child labour).
Beautiful Child: Escaped child trafficking (being used for child labour) at the age of 5. Was also drugged by an adult around this time
Beautiful Child: Father died and mothers where abouts are unknown
Beautiful Child: Escaped child trafficking where the child was making Changa (potent type of home brew) to buy food and soda. Current (not birth) father does not accept him as his own child.
many of these children have been on the streets for 2 months to 4 years - almost all under the age of 15.
The safari (journey) which they have traveled has been marked not by merely bumps in the road but barbed wire and treacherous paths and yet they have not stoped or given up hope. I wish that they may be able to take their futures into their hands and out of the hands of medeling others and reach each of their true potentials.
please send your thoughts of compassion to these children so that they may feel the love that so many people around the world have for them- not because you pity their situation but because you are proud of all they have done.
if you wish to sponsor this program or any others that have been mentioned through my blogs please do not hesiate to let me know through confidential e-mail at erglofch@uwaterloo.ca and we will see what we an do :)
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