A Walk In The Park

Give the people what they want. Isn't that what they say? And I'm a man for the people so I'll give you what you want. By popular demand, I've been told to talk about the kids that I have been working with. These kids that I work with at Lambano (meaning receive, in the Greek) are ages infant-6 years. There are about 25 kids at 4 houses. All of them HIV positive, except for two in the baby house, and they are looking for parents to adopt them. I have had a blast working with the kids and they are such a challenge. I am trying to spend consistant time with one of the kids, Mandla, who has been giving the staff workers a difficult time. I'm really trying to kind of be a big brother to him.
One of the big challenges, and needs, that Lambano has is the lack of male interaction with the children. These kids are being raised by women. There is no one to wrestle with them and if you do they clam up because they are not used to it. Most of the boys are sissys. Now, I dont mean that in a harsh, malicious way, but its the truth that these boys are not learning how to be men, they are learning how to be crybaby's and weak. The boys will cry at the drop of a hat. So it has been a challenge to not be super hard on them, but love them in the way that they need. They need a man to tell them that they are not hurt just because someone slapped them on the shoulder and it made them cry. So my latest thing has been to tell them that they are fine if they start crying. I tell them in the nicest way possible, to suck it up. It may seem harsh, but its what they need. It has been so much fun working with the kids. But it has also been tiring.

This past Wednesday we went to the park with most of the kids for Chaiesse's ((Sp?)Kai-ee-say) birthday party. The team had fun with all of them and I got some good pictures.