I meet Richard Yohane who invites me to help out on Monday at an orphanage for kids affected by AIDS. He seems amicable and happy about my interest in getting involved. I can’t help but reflect whether he or anyone else I have met on my trip thus far regard my presence in Malawi as a fleeting grasp to help out for just a short while, perhaps as a means to feel better about myself.
This time around I manage to comfort myself – it’s a start, a step in the right direction, right?
With frisbees in hand, I head downstairs from the clinic to start meeting the kids. They’re here for a monthly get-together – where all HIV+ teens have been invited for food, fun, sports and camaraderie. Most of the 40 kids have not seen a flying piece of plastic before. Many of them pick up the skill quite quickly, though, and are gallivanting on the downward sloping section of the lawn throwing and catching the disc. Occasional launches propel the discs over the red bricked wall – but very quickly two or three kids race through the front gates to retrieve the ill-directed projectile. There’s a lot of chatter, laughter and running around.
We talk about snow – they’ve only heard about it. We work my digital camera – they get a kick out of seeing themselves in various poses. A soccer ball soon joins in on the mix too.Not being able to keep up with the kids, I grab a seat in the shade and pull out a map of the general area of Lilongwe.
Lilongwe and its surrounding are broken into ‘Areas’, all numbered, none following any obvious logic. Thus, Area 1 will not necessarily be located directly next to Areas 2, 3 or 4. I am soon surrounded by curious eyes – we discuss where each inquisitive kid lives and try to locate it on the map. Some manage to locate the Area they reside in, others live further away, off the map. There are now 8 heads, connected ear to ear to ear, staring down at the map.
Food is served soon on the shaded side of the clinic, but is preempted by songs started by the kids. Sadly, various muzungus (‘white persons’) are prompted to shake their asses to the songs – I avoid being rude, swallow my pride and fulfill the demanding crowd’s wishes – to both their and my chagrin…
After lunch all of us head up to the second floor conference room in the clinic – doctors, kids, volunteers. A handful of the kids perform creative skits in Chichewa. Most issues primarily relate to concerns and fears these kids have about their lives. Although the height of some of the immuno-supressed children may be stunted by the HIV virus, the group of kids exhibits a grown-up maturity beyond their years. Hard life and tough experiences inevitably harden us all up.
Assignments due for the next Teen Day in March are explained and pens and pencils, though never enough, are distributed amongst the children.
A soccer game concludes the day of activity, ending in a 3-3 draw. There are some real ringers on both teams. The kids feel safe here – the program is working.
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