First Day

January 16th, 2009

Hi friends

I arrived yesterday
the plane was easy and lovely

We had a ton of luggage because Gina brought 2 ,70 lbs bags of formula
we had 7 guys helping us squeeze all our bags in to a tiny toyota corola
it was hilarious

we dropped our stuff off at the hotel and went straight to the orphanage
the orphanage has been split into two different places one for babies
and one for toddlers
we went to to the babies

There are about 17 babies in this 4 room house. The babies range form
10 days old to 8 months or so.
Some have been placed and have families who will come and pick them up
some arrived very recently and are straight off the street, they are
getting tested and many malnourished

There were 3 care givers for the 17 babies
the babies are 2-3 in a crib

1 baby has scars all over her face and neck because her mother tried to kill her
the 10 day old baby is the hardest for me to see

The caregivers are very loving and work VERY hard
then they go home to the their own children

There are two other women Rahel and SIga who come and help too the
work for the administrative aspects of the agency. Rahel is a lawyer
Siga is in University. They work and then come and hold and care for
the babies after their full days of work.

Some of the babies rock from lack of stimulation
the diaper situation is odd...most of the time they are not wearing
diapers they are sometimes sitting or laying on cloth diapers

most of the time I pick up a baby and they are wet

The babies are fed in the arms of the caregivers with a bottle
but then the caregivers also lay babies down with the bottle in their mouth
supposedly angled so they can drink as they lay down
EVEN the tiniest babies only days old

Genetu is Gina's baby and the one I will be taking care of
his demeanor is very calm , but its hard to know if it is complacency
or his natural demeanor
he like many of the other babies is dealing with a meaty cough that
has been hanging on for weeks
he looks up and away to the left when he is held and arches his back
I think it may have to do with the over stimulation of eye contact
after not having enough
but we will see

They NEED sooooo much
hands to hold them
stimulation
diapers
formula
carpet so they don't have to crawl on the cold floor
toys

the newer babies seem to cry more, I think because they remember what
they are missing
even living on the streets I think they were being held more sometimes

when it was time to leave
I have to walk out of the house and listen to all the babies crying
I have to put down the baby I was carrying and listen to them cry

Its hard and there is now where else I would rather be in the world

After landing and doing 6 hours and the orphanage

Gina and I went Shabbat Dinner at Dr. Rick Hodes house
he has an open Friday night dinner

He is a doctor of a free clinic he specializes in children with cancer
and spinal problems
Annie's parents connected me to him

He has about 20 children he calls his family
5 of them are fully adopted
lots of people from the area also join for dinner
including many 20 something Americans
who I am sure will be important friends here

we stayed till late in the evening
there were shabbat prayers and hand holding circles with lots of singing
then his children served a delicious meal

Between his kids and The people there they hooked me up with a cell
phone ( a whole convoluted process because the government controls the
# of SMS cards)
I met a girl who I will be looking for an apartment with, she is a
yoga teacher here as well as her job at an agricultural development
organization
I was invited on hikes
and so much more
There are dance classes and massages classes I can take

and lots of people who wanna help me out and hang out with me

EVERYONE Thinks I am " Habesha" ( from Ethiopia)

I will update you more soon

I am very happy and I love you!
pictures soon!
love
T