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Back to the children

The clock is telling me I should close the laptop and leave this for tomorrow. The heart is bursting and I can not spend another day without sharing with you my Saturday in the Orphanage.

The mosquito that would not let me sleep got me out of bed at 6.30, an earlier start than usual. I blame the mosquito but I know the emotion of meeting “my children” again was not going to let me sleep anyway. The drive seemed longer than usual and the secondary road seemed to bring a new light, new huts, new trees that I had not seen before. Or maybe I had seen it after all but the joy is always immense as if I am there for the first time…

The children welcome me singing, and the sound of their happy voices warms my heart and tells me one more time it is worth every step of the way

I welcome Zezito in my arms, he is using the t-shirt I once gave him, with his name and our picture hugging. I still remember the first time he met me, his eyes staring at the hairs in my arms, playing with it with the innocence of a 2-year-old that has never seen white skin before. But now he is all grown up, 6 years old, going to first grade and learning how to read. He is even more grown up when I am around, because he feels important, he knows I am everyone’s “godmother” but I am slightly more his own. He will be in my arms or sitting on my lap as long as I will let him, help me with pictures, carry my bags or my files, showing off his “madrinha” to everyone.







Distracted taking everyone’s pictures, my friend that went me pull me aside and asked “don’t they have anything to play with?”. I thought I had seen a bag with some toys somewhere, but in fact, they were just sitting there, entertaining us, and no doubt they must have been bored, if it wasn’t for the bright red lollypop that I had for them






And that is when I remembered, that deep in my bag my Mum had sent something “for the children”. The moment I took it out I wanted to cry. It was difficult to keep the tears away seeing the emotion that two simple beach-ball rackets and a tiny little ball had made in those beautiful eyes








Before leaving, we were greeted with more music and invited to dance along. The joy in their voices always makes it an irresistible offer but it is the laughter in their eyes when you actually dance along that makes it all worth it!









(I will have a video where I dance along too, but not just yet!)

The day was filled with emotion. The nursery is now beautiful (though unfurnished), the water well starts being drilled next Monday, the 1st graders started having school under a tree close by… But so much more than that, each smile tells me a story. I will leave you with some here over the days, hoping to be able to reflect them the way they are so sharp in my memory





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