During our second week in Tanzania, we helped Jodi and the KAT’Z team run a sports program for local underprivileged kids. A few different orphanages and sponsorship programs brought a total of 35 children to the Masai camp, where our students led a holiday break day camp. The children were split into 4 groups and rotated between different stations every day; Dance, Soccer/Futbol, Gymnastics & Bootcamp. The program has run in the past, however it was loosely structured. Our students worked incredibly hard to create a seamless system, including simple necessities like name tags, hourly rotations, skill building and fun. Sometimes improvisation was needed, like using mosquito nets for soccer goals and fire pits for bean bag toss.
Our first day was quite rainy, so we had to move everything indoors. The children arrived late and sporadicly, which caused some trouble building groups and arranging times to switch stations. The kitchen at Masai Camp was not aware that they were supposed to be cooking for 40+ people (despite months of planning and contact), so our house sister, Dada Dotto, had to whip up a feast in only a few hours. As stressful as this was, it was a great learning opportunity for our students, who had to learn to go with the flow, and put their Plan B, C and D into action.
Throughout the week, the days became more and more flawless. The students practiced their game plans the night before and were prepared for any and every situation. The camp-goers began to crave the structure that was built for them and were excited for their name tags every morning. A few times I tried to switch up some kids to make the group numbers more even, and I would get corrected, “No Miss, I’m in group 4 not 2.” As the days went on, the skills being taught became quite obvious. The Dance station was teaching a routine to Party in the USA; the Soccer station was building up skills for a scrimmage on the final day; Bootcamp was bettering their times on obstacles, preparing for the obstacle course at the end of the week; and Gymnastics was combining yoga and tumbling, starting simple with cartwheels and rolls, working towards handstands and headstands.
Every morning, a herd of children would come running in, smiles spread wide across their faces, ready to face the day. Although the sports program was a bit of a modge podge of activities and supplies, to these children it was the greatest thing ever. This was like their summer break, and the program was their summer camp. They came from all different bad situations; street kids with prostitutes for mothers, HIV positive children, orphans, all below the poverty line.
Meshack and Shedrack were found six months ago in the streets outside of a convent. They were searching for items they could sell for any amount of money; coils for burners, metal parts for bikes, etc. The nuns followed them 7km (4.3 miles) back to their home with their 90+ year old grandmother who was too weak to care for them. They then helped to find an orphanage for the boys to live at, which is how we were blessed enough to meet them. They are 5 years old.
Collins and Robby both have prostitutes as mothers and have become street children along with Nikas. They make deals with vendors to bring tourists to them, then when the vendor charges an extremely marked up price, the boys take a cut of the profit. They are now all sponsored and working towards a life more fit for boys of 12 and 13.
The twins Halima and Ally left their home with their brother and father to live at an orphanage. Their mother died of HIV complications. Ally has HIV as well. His mother switched between breast feeding and solid foods, and the solid food caused tears in his esophagous, which then allowed the HIV infected breastmilk into his system. Halima is healthy.
On our second to last day, we ventured out to one of the orphanages, which was 40 minutes away, with the group that lived there. Their house mother, who spent many days hanging out at the sports program, welcomed us with open arms, and the children rushed to show off their home. Oliver, a little nine year old girl, grabbed my hand and began the tour. The girls room, where seven of them shared 4 twin beds; the boys room, where six shared 4 twin beds; the kitchen, two outdoor fire pits and a trough for water; three toilet stalls, a porcelain hole in the ground; two classrooms for learning, one with a blackboard and both with benches for the students to sit on. The facilities were not as bad as some we have seen, but they also were not anything special. The way that Oliver and the other children led us around, it was clear they took pride in their home. We spent some time out in back of the orphanage, sitting in the grass, the boys talking, the girls braiding our hair. There was a beautiful tree out in the maize field, a basic little church, and other concrete homes surrounding us. Mount Meru sat close by, only the base visible through the clouds, despite it being a beautiful sunny day. It was so peaceful, and such an honor to be so welcomed and cared for by young souls with so little. Their powerful, honorable gift was simple; loving us, being open to sharing themselves with us, it was such a beautiful thing to receive.
The last day of sports camp was very fun. Our students spent the evening before dividing up our supplies and creating a care package for every child that attended the camp. The morning went as usual, everyone dividing up into their groups and heading to a different station. Jodi created completion certificates for the children to take home. Rasta John arrived to DJ the dance party. Krissy and Lisa Marie frosted 100+ cupcakes for the children to eat. Once in a while, someone would ask me if the camp was continuing on Saturday, Sunday or Monday. I sadly shook my head no each time a day was suggested. It broke my heart that they though we would be there for longer.
