Hey folks,
We're still hanging out in Amsterdam. We managed to book flights, and we are praying they don't get cancelled. Mary is booked for Tuesday afternoon and Linda, Annie, and I are booked for Wednesday afternoon. We're hoping sooner flights open up, but we also know that things could stay this bad and our flights could be cancelled again. We've mostly come to accept that we'll be here for a few more days. It's hard to be stuck here when we were excited to be returning home to all of you. We wish we were still in Africa at least, where we had more work we could do. Amsterdam is beautiful, it's just better to be here when it is a planned trip. We've all picked up some clothes and such, so we feel much better. We did a little walking around the city today, and managed to not get lost. It's nice to be able to walk around at night again, we were stuck inside once night fell in Africa. We're hoping to visit a few museums tomorrow and maybe the zoo. Trying to make the best of our time and enjoy ourselves. There are lots of stranded people who are in much worse situations than we are. Everywhere we go, we run into other people who find themselves treated to an unexpected stay in Amsterdam as well. We're taking it day by day and hoping things will change. Much love from Amsterdam.
~Annie, Linda, Mary, and Genny
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Extended Vacation
Hello folks,
Just a quick update! We're currently stuck at the airport in Amsterdam due to the huge cloud of volcanic dust hanging around Europe. We've had quite an adventure getting here. First, we missed our flight in Windhoek, because we were late, and we had the wrong flight time. Our itinerary said the flight was at 7:05pm, while it was really at 6:05pm. The itinerary didn't account for the time change a few weeks ago. We managed to get on the only other flight that night - into Frankfurt. We got into Frankfurt only to find out about the restricted travel. We've been so out of the loop, that we didn't even know that a volcano erupted! We decided to try and get to Amsterdam, on the rare chance that our flight was still scheduled. Also, we knew we'd be heading out of Amsterdam eventually, and we had a lot of time on our hands. So we took 3 trains and finally got to the Amsterdam airport, on time too! Unfortunately, our flight had been cancelled. Currently, we're sitting at the airport, waiting to get an update on the ash issue and hoping to at least get our return flight home scheduled. We're guessing that we'll be here about 2 days, though we're hoping to get back sooner. There are worse places to be stuck than Amsterdam, but we're all extremely tired and don't relish the idea of wearing the same clothes for another 3 days. We're praying for the wind to change so we can leave soon, but we probably won't make it home for a few more days. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Hopefully we'll see you soon. ;-)
~Annie, Linda, Mary, and Genny
Just a quick update! We're currently stuck at the airport in Amsterdam due to the huge cloud of volcanic dust hanging around Europe. We've had quite an adventure getting here. First, we missed our flight in Windhoek, because we were late, and we had the wrong flight time. Our itinerary said the flight was at 7:05pm, while it was really at 6:05pm. The itinerary didn't account for the time change a few weeks ago. We managed to get on the only other flight that night - into Frankfurt. We got into Frankfurt only to find out about the restricted travel. We've been so out of the loop, that we didn't even know that a volcano erupted! We decided to try and get to Amsterdam, on the rare chance that our flight was still scheduled. Also, we knew we'd be heading out of Amsterdam eventually, and we had a lot of time on our hands. So we took 3 trains and finally got to the Amsterdam airport, on time too! Unfortunately, our flight had been cancelled. Currently, we're sitting at the airport, waiting to get an update on the ash issue and hoping to at least get our return flight home scheduled. We're guessing that we'll be here about 2 days, though we're hoping to get back sooner. There are worse places to be stuck than Amsterdam, but we're all extremely tired and don't relish the idea of wearing the same clothes for another 3 days. We're praying for the wind to change so we can leave soon, but we probably won't make it home for a few more days. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Hopefully we'll see you soon. ;-)
~Annie, Linda, Mary, and Genny
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Modern Day Robin Hood
13/04/10
We got back into Windhoek Sunday night around 7:00pm. We had played Robin Hood during our entire visit to the lodge, stealing food at every meal. It was buffet-style, so they didn’t notice when we walked away with an extra roll or apple hidden in our pockets. At one meal, Annie actually stole half of a French baguette. On the ride home, we handed the food out to hungry kids at every rest stop. We guessed that those kids will never get a chance to stay in one of the fancy lodges, so we brought some of the lodge to them. Stealing from the rich and giving to the poor has never felt so good.
Yesterday we spent getting things ready for our last two and a half days. Linda and Genny went shopping for school supplies to donate to FHS. We bought most of the pencils, erasers, chalk, notebooks, scissors, glue sticks, markers, and colored pencils that the store had. US money goes so far here, due to the exchange rate. We spent about US$200 on school supplies, and it would have cost closer to $500 or so in the US. We brought it all to the school today, and the teachers were ecstatic! They have to keep a close eye on supplies, as they tend to disappear if not watched. Most of the kids will always return the supplies, even if they are left lying out, but there are a few that are so desperate that they would steal supplies to sell on the street. The teachers put the supplies to use right away, using the scissors, markers, and glue sticks in one of the craft activities. We are always amazed how they use everything they can here. We watched the kids make little cardboard houses out of the boxes we had brought the candy in during the Easter party (see pictures!). They had saved the empty boxes for a week and a half, just to use them in this activity.
Nicole and Genny decided to sponsor kids from FHS. FHS’s sponsorship program is truly fantastic. They pick the kids who live in the hardest conditions, and whose families are struggling the most to pay their school fees, and search for sponsors for them. To sponsor a child for one year is $1,700 Namibian dollars (US$240). This money will pay for a uniform, school fees, and hygiene kits for the student. The Namibian government prides itself on its “free” education for all children. However, all schools charge a school fee and all students must have a uniform to attend. Clothing here is cheap - about US$5 for a child’s t-shirt. However, uniforms are very expensive, closer to US$35 for pants and a shirt, and US$20 for a pair of school shoes. So buying everything for the uniform, and paying school fees, is more money than most families can manage. Also, most families have more than one child to put through school. Working at the school has caused us to form an attachment to these kids. Today, I met the child I would be sponsoring. Matheus is 13 years old, but he’s about the height and weight of an 8 year old. He lives with his aunt, two other adult relatives, and 12 other children, in one house. He just started school this year, and was placed in Grade 2. His birthday wish is to have a new pair of pants (he only has one), shoes for school, and a cake (since he’s never had one).
In some ways this is a plea for help - FHS has 150 more children needing sponsors. But beyond that, it is an eye-opener to the vastly different way that children grow up in Namibia. Living in overcrowded, tin shacks in the ghettos of Havana with way too many relatives and not enough food or clothing to go around makes for a very sad childhood. We want to pack these children in our suitcases and bring them home to a better life, but there are children everywhere we look and we couldn’t possibly help them all. So we take the little moments of joy and tuck them away to help us sew up our hearts as they break every time we look at how these kids spend their childhood. We help as many as we can, and pray for those we can’t reach. We also know that Namibians care for their children. Orphans are usually taken in by relatives, rather than thrown on the street. School fees are the first thing most families pay, before food and rent, because they know that their children must get an education to have a better life. Many schools, like FHS, take time to check on the family lives of the children and do their best to help kids who are struggling. Families donate food to soup kitchens that feed orphaned children, even when they do not have enough food for themselves. There is so much hope and so much faith here, that it is impossible to believe that Namibia will not someday strive. We will continue to do everything we can to make that happen, and we thank you for your support as we do this work. Hope is a contagious thing, and it is everywhere we look in Namibia.
~Annie, Linda, Mary, Genny
(If you are interested in sponsoring a child, or learning more about FHS, please e-mail me at gennyclute@gmail.com)
We got back into Windhoek Sunday night around 7:00pm. We had played Robin Hood during our entire visit to the lodge, stealing food at every meal. It was buffet-style, so they didn’t notice when we walked away with an extra roll or apple hidden in our pockets. At one meal, Annie actually stole half of a French baguette. On the ride home, we handed the food out to hungry kids at every rest stop. We guessed that those kids will never get a chance to stay in one of the fancy lodges, so we brought some of the lodge to them. Stealing from the rich and giving to the poor has never felt so good.
Yesterday we spent getting things ready for our last two and a half days. Linda and Genny went shopping for school supplies to donate to FHS. We bought most of the pencils, erasers, chalk, notebooks, scissors, glue sticks, markers, and colored pencils that the store had. US money goes so far here, due to the exchange rate. We spent about US$200 on school supplies, and it would have cost closer to $500 or so in the US. We brought it all to the school today, and the teachers were ecstatic! They have to keep a close eye on supplies, as they tend to disappear if not watched. Most of the kids will always return the supplies, even if they are left lying out, but there are a few that are so desperate that they would steal supplies to sell on the street. The teachers put the supplies to use right away, using the scissors, markers, and glue sticks in one of the craft activities. We are always amazed how they use everything they can here. We watched the kids make little cardboard houses out of the boxes we had brought the candy in during the Easter party (see pictures!). They had saved the empty boxes for a week and a half, just to use them in this activity.
Nicole and Genny decided to sponsor kids from FHS. FHS’s sponsorship program is truly fantastic. They pick the kids who live in the hardest conditions, and whose families are struggling the most to pay their school fees, and search for sponsors for them. To sponsor a child for one year is $1,700 Namibian dollars (US$240). This money will pay for a uniform, school fees, and hygiene kits for the student. The Namibian government prides itself on its “free” education for all children. However, all schools charge a school fee and all students must have a uniform to attend. Clothing here is cheap - about US$5 for a child’s t-shirt. However, uniforms are very expensive, closer to US$35 for pants and a shirt, and US$20 for a pair of school shoes. So buying everything for the uniform, and paying school fees, is more money than most families can manage. Also, most families have more than one child to put through school. Working at the school has caused us to form an attachment to these kids. Today, I met the child I would be sponsoring. Matheus is 13 years old, but he’s about the height and weight of an 8 year old. He lives with his aunt, two other adult relatives, and 12 other children, in one house. He just started school this year, and was placed in Grade 2. His birthday wish is to have a new pair of pants (he only has one), shoes for school, and a cake (since he’s never had one).
In some ways this is a plea for help - FHS has 150 more children needing sponsors. But beyond that, it is an eye-opener to the vastly different way that children grow up in Namibia. Living in overcrowded, tin shacks in the ghettos of Havana with way too many relatives and not enough food or clothing to go around makes for a very sad childhood. We want to pack these children in our suitcases and bring them home to a better life, but there are children everywhere we look and we couldn’t possibly help them all. So we take the little moments of joy and tuck them away to help us sew up our hearts as they break every time we look at how these kids spend their childhood. We help as many as we can, and pray for those we can’t reach. We also know that Namibians care for their children. Orphans are usually taken in by relatives, rather than thrown on the street. School fees are the first thing most families pay, before food and rent, because they know that their children must get an education to have a better life. Many schools, like FHS, take time to check on the family lives of the children and do their best to help kids who are struggling. Families donate food to soup kitchens that feed orphaned children, even when they do not have enough food for themselves. There is so much hope and so much faith here, that it is impossible to believe that Namibia will not someday strive. We will continue to do everything we can to make that happen, and we thank you for your support as we do this work. Hope is a contagious thing, and it is everywhere we look in Namibia.
~Annie, Linda, Mary, Genny
(If you are interested in sponsoring a child, or learning more about FHS, please e-mail me at gennyclute@gmail.com)
Just a few pics
Hello folks! Here's a few pictures to end your day with (assuming that all of you are, of course, checking the blog hourly)
Two girls from the school get their uniforms through the sponsorship program
These boys help clean up after every meal at FHS!
Making little houses out of cardboard and glue
Two girls from the school get their uniforms through the sponsorship program
These boys help clean up after every meal at FHS!
Making little houses out of cardboard and glue
More pictures soon! We're not doing a very good job of making sure we're in the pictures. :-) But we'll get some ones with us in them up soon. Less than two days until we fly home. We are making the best of our time that we have left. Love from Africa!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
More Easter party pics!
The stampede of kids!
Collecting eggs!
Annie and Linda surrounded by kids
Genny and Solomon hanging out with a tuckered out kidlet
Queen passing out the hot chocolate - it's in high demand
Collecting eggs!
Annie and Linda surrounded by kids
Genny and Solomon hanging out with a tuckered out kidlet
Queen passing out the hot chocolate - it's in high demand
More Pictures Finally!
Handing out sandwiches at the Easter party
Nicole hiding Easter eggs
Queen and Genny mixing up hot chocolate with Uma
Preparing Easter eggs with our friends Solomon and Danny
Nicole hiding Easter eggs
Queen and Genny mixing up hot chocolate with Uma
Preparing Easter eggs with our friends Solomon and Danny
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my! (Well, really just lions, but you get the idea)
Hello folks!
Just a quick update - we’re currently in northern Namibia, right outside of Etosha National Park. We drove one of the teachers from the school up so she could visit her parents, and we’re all staying at a lodge for a few days. It’s really beautiful here. There are currently 10 or so Springbok sleeping right outside our room. We’ve gone on a few hikes, and Linda and Genny went on a game drive yesterday. There were countless giraffes and zebras, a few lions, and two elephants! As well as a ton of amazing birds and other smaller animals. We watched a lion eat about half of a zebra. We’re all enjoying our little vacation, but also looking forward to getting back into the city to help out at the school next week. Though it’s nice at the lodge, we aren’t really relishing the feeling of being tourists, after seeing the poverty that paints rural Namibia. But it’s only for a few days, and we all needed the break. Our excitement to get back and help at the school again is also overshadowed by the fact that our departure is a week away.
We are planning one last shopping trip before we go, and will help to stock up the school on basic supplies. The pencils the kids use are tiny nubs and lack erasers. They get so excited when they have new markers and new coloring books. We’re also hoping to buy uniforms for some of the kids as well. Many of them have uniforms that are torn or mismatched, or no uniform at all. One of the teachers explained to me that the kids get a sense of pride when they have a uniform, not to mention that it is required for school attendance (though the teachers look the other way if a student shows up without one). She said she has actually been able to track the improvement in a student’s work when they get a uniform. They are so proud to have a uniform that fits and is clean, that they try harder at their schoolwork.
I apologize for the lack of pictures. I managed to get a few up before we ran out of minutes on our internet. Now, we’re up north and have plenty of minutes, but incredibly spotty and unreliable internet service. I can’t manage to hold a connection long enough to upload the pictures. But I promise, I will get them up as soon as I’m able. I’ve tried many times, so it’s not for lack of effort!
Have a great weekend everyone!
~Annie, Linda, Mary, and Genny
Just a quick update - we’re currently in northern Namibia, right outside of Etosha National Park. We drove one of the teachers from the school up so she could visit her parents, and we’re all staying at a lodge for a few days. It’s really beautiful here. There are currently 10 or so Springbok sleeping right outside our room. We’ve gone on a few hikes, and Linda and Genny went on a game drive yesterday. There were countless giraffes and zebras, a few lions, and two elephants! As well as a ton of amazing birds and other smaller animals. We watched a lion eat about half of a zebra. We’re all enjoying our little vacation, but also looking forward to getting back into the city to help out at the school next week. Though it’s nice at the lodge, we aren’t really relishing the feeling of being tourists, after seeing the poverty that paints rural Namibia. But it’s only for a few days, and we all needed the break. Our excitement to get back and help at the school again is also overshadowed by the fact that our departure is a week away.
We are planning one last shopping trip before we go, and will help to stock up the school on basic supplies. The pencils the kids use are tiny nubs and lack erasers. They get so excited when they have new markers and new coloring books. We’re also hoping to buy uniforms for some of the kids as well. Many of them have uniforms that are torn or mismatched, or no uniform at all. One of the teachers explained to me that the kids get a sense of pride when they have a uniform, not to mention that it is required for school attendance (though the teachers look the other way if a student shows up without one). She said she has actually been able to track the improvement in a student’s work when they get a uniform. They are so proud to have a uniform that fits and is clean, that they try harder at their schoolwork.
I apologize for the lack of pictures. I managed to get a few up before we ran out of minutes on our internet. Now, we’re up north and have plenty of minutes, but incredibly spotty and unreliable internet service. I can’t manage to hold a connection long enough to upload the pictures. But I promise, I will get them up as soon as I’m able. I’ve tried many times, so it’s not for lack of effort!
Have a great weekend everyone!
~Annie, Linda, Mary, and Genny
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