OUR VISIT TO THE ORPHANAGE "LIGHT OF HOPE ORPHANAGE"

ORPHANAGE

Just thought you might enjoy one of our trips with some good friends from the LDS CHARITIES group here in Zimbabwe.  Elder and Sister Bean from the Seattle area invited us one Saturday to go with them to an Orphanage that was south of Harare.  I know from the pictures, that you can kind of tell what is going on there, but let me take a minute and tell you what we say.

This orphanage is stricktley volunteer, and there is no such thing as government help.  So there are no set aside funds for this facility, or for that matter, any other facility in Zimbabwe.  So it is stricktly supported by anyone who wants to help.  Most of these children are true orphans in every sense of the word, however there are a great many of them here because their parents have aids, or are alcohalic, or in prison or simply cannot afford to raise them.

As you can see from this picture, quilts are something that they have never seen before and are a very luxury item in this part of the world.  It is unseasonably cold to these people right now, so blankets and warm clothing is in high demand.  I often wondered whe so many quilts were being made by the Relief Society when I was at home, and now I can see why.  They are certainly welcomed here and I know they are very much appreciated.  Keep Quilting Sisters!!!!

Stocking hats are also a luxury item here, and I know many of the sisters at home have knitted many a stocking hat.  They wear them both night and day.

These two little guys were so hungry and tired, but after we started playing games with them they started to smile and everything was o.k. with them.

They all wanted to get their pictures taken so they could see what they looked like in a picture.  I'm sure there were many of them who had never had their picture taken before.



This was their sole source for water, what they call a bore hole.  All they do is throw the container down the hole and then pull it up full of water.  They are lucky to have a bore hole right there in their area, because many of the women have to walk for miles with a 5 gallon container on their head to get water.  This gal is one of the volunteers at the orphanage.  Wonderful gal.

They have what they refer to as a cook shack and it is a thatched roof hut that they build a fire right in the center of it and cook everything they make, right there on the floor.  The floor is dirt, but like cement, because they keep it so clean.  It is very bright.  Very smokey though.

These old gals, and not the white ones, walk to the orphanage every day to see if they can help.  They were a joy to be around, and were tickled to death to see us.  This is the way they dress every day.  Note the women in the green does not wear shoes, because they are to uncomfortable for her to wear.  The gal in the middle is 89 years old, and her skin was so soft and very few wrinkles in her face.  She could not speak any english at all, but did tell someone there that she was so happy to see us and THANK YOU!!!

SISTER HECK WANTS TO GIVE THEM THE FARM.

We are going to take a load of firewood to them, because they purchased a load from someone and they did not deliver it, just took the money and ran.