Naomi

May 6th-

Today was a Lala Day (sleep day). Which means, after a late night dancing and drinking Konyagi at Via Via sleep was needed.

After lunch at Picasso's (a very muzungu place), 5 of us went to the orphanage. Paradiso is home to 20 orphaned children from the Arusha area. They were all so sweet and beautiful. I was immediately handed a baby by another child so she could go to play. I held Mary almost the entire time. I got to sit and sing while the other children played with my hair.

I also met Naomi, a brilliant 12 year old girl. Her English was excellent, delivered with a very confident and assertive tone. She told me about school and how she wants to become a pastor. It wasn't so much the cute little babies toddling around that interested me as much in Paradiso's work, but Naomi. When I mentioned writing her, she liked the idea a lot. I also began to inquire about school costs and uniforms. An entire year is 190,000 tsh and 2 uniforms are 42,000 tsh ($1 US = 1500 tsh).

It also made me think about Gramma. The orphanage is ran by a Babu and Bibi- a Papa and Gramma. Naomi would have been a favourite of Gramma's. I know where to send money in her memory to this year. I hope to keep in touch with Naomi for years to come. Her energy is contagious. This little girl is going to make change happen in her community.