A day in the Life (Preparing for the Nyumba Yanga 10 Year Anniversary)

Good Afternoon from Home of Joy Orphanage (or at least it’s afternoon here)

Everyone here is earnestly preparing for the Nyumba Yanga orphanage 10 year anniversary celebration on 15th May. It’s very busy. Yesterday we got the younger girls to paint with us…boy do they have talent! Some painted their schools and others painted the orphanage or flowers and blue skies. It was quite exciting to watch and interact with them and get to know their stories a little bit.

Currently, in preparation for the 15th May, each girl has been assigned a group and a task for the 10 year celebration. Some girls are in charge of showcasing the beautiful rosaries they have made, while others are responsible for showcasing their knitting, beading, and tie-dying talents. A few girls are additionally responsible for decorating the hall and the chapel. While wandering the grounds yesterday I ventured into the chapel just in time to be taught how to decorate the altar in a traditional fashion by the CIC sisters. Memori (one of the older girls at Home of Joy) and I had lots of fun laughing as we tried to mimic what the sisters were doing in terms of decorations.

Yesterday evening at HOJ the power was out so all of the younger girls came to visit us at the guest house. What followed was them ‘platting’ or attempting to ‘plat’ our hair. Platting is when they braid their hair really tightly in corn rows. It was quite the experience and the girls had a lot of fun with it (our heads were quite sore afterwards).

The girls have been having lots of fun with the skipping ropes and books we brought over from Canada. Whenever we are in the guest house, there is always a knock at the door and girls asking us to read with them or asking if they can borrow books (very cute). One of their favorite reads thus far has been the ‘balloon tree’. One of the girls (Victoria) told Micaela she would like to plant a balloon tree someday :0).

Tomorrow the Irish Ambassador is popping by for a visit. (He provides funding and donations to the orphanage). I am excited to see the girls all dressed up and hear them sing the Irish National Anthem that Fr. Eugene has taught them. Final preparations for the 10 year celebration will also occur tomorrow. I am excited to experience all of the new experiences that tomorrow will bring.

Yours,
Amanda