School Supplies and Soccer

My favorite baby, Upendo.

Last week was a nice, relaxing week of volunteering for me.  I spent Monday and Wednesday at Good Hope, Tuesday and Thursday at Cradle of Love, and Friday at Jericho Orphanage where my friend Sofie volunteers.  On Monday afternoon, the kids at Good Hope got a chance to see and talk to some students from Chicago via skype (thanks Jessie!).  They really enjoyed getting to see some mzungu students!  I spent lots of time with my favorite baby, Upendo, on Tuesday and Thursday.  Yes, I totally want to adopt her, but no, I won’t really do it!  She is just so sweet!!

Class 4 with their new supplies

Thanks to several people including my mom, grandparents, and my friend Nikki and her students, I had lots of fun school supplies to pass out.  Class four at Good Hope was taking their National Exams last week, so they each received two fun new pencils, a pencil sharpener, and an eraser to help motivate them to do their best!  I also took some pencils, sharpeners, crayons, and colored pencils to Jericho Orphanage because they have almost no school supplies in their preschool classroom.  And I still have lots more supplies to pass out next week!!

Kids at Jericho excited about new school supplies

Good Hope soccer game

All the kids here love soccer, and jump at the chance to play a game with the volunteers.  Last Wednesday, we had a pretty exciting match with the kids, volunteers, friends, and even two of the teachers at school.  The rest of us were spectators, cheering on both teams, and also just enjoying the beautiful weather and getting our hair fixed J

Soccer spectators/Hair Salon

The kids at a live soccer game!

Since the kids love soccer, I thought it would be really fun to take the kids at Good Hope to a real soccer game at the stadium in Arusha.  Yesterday, thanks to a donation from my Aunt Jane, we all boarded a dala dala into town to watch a soccer game.  It was the first time that the kids had ever been to a live soccer game, and they were very excited.  The weather was a bit iffy, but we avoided the rain and even saw a beautiful rainbow at half time!  On the way home, we stopped at the local market for a snack of fresh bananas and oranges…delicious! 



The serious spectators.



With Mount Meru and a rainbow!



Banana snack :)

This week is my last week of volunteering.  I can’t believe how fast the time is flying!  My family will be here to visit in less than one week, and I can’t wait to see them and share with them some of my experiences here in Tanzania!  Then after they leave, it’s three more weeks of traveling adventures for me!!

My favorite meal here, chips mayai and cassava, all for just over one dollar!!