3.18.15

I have decided to start using this in more of a diary format from here on out instead of sweeping updates. It’s a much less daunting task if I just do this every other day instead of trying to hit every big point in one post every few weeks.

Monday day was nice. Things are finally starting to seem normal again at school as things are calming down and coming together. I met Elizabeth on the road to school at Noella’s Aunt’s house. (If you don’t know the story behind Noella, go back to my facebook and scroll down! There is a status from a couple weeks ago). She needed more food so off we went. Thanks to so many generous donations, we were able to get them enough food for at least 3 weeks! And we will be able to keep doing this for at least 8 months, though I hope longer. We dropped off the food and went back to school. I did some dishes and some budgeting/accounting then went to a meeting after school. On my way to the meeting, Auntie Noella stopped me and gave me two bananas, an amazingly beautiful gesture of appreciation that I should have remembered later that night.

Monday night I got so frustrated with things and people here that I cried for about three hours. I should be used to people seeing me as money, but I’m not. I can’t wrap my head around people just assuming I have money all the time because I’m white. What people don’t realize is that since “the incident” I have gone without lunch or dinner at least 15 times and owe my motorcycle driver money because he was constantly sending me phone credit because I couldn’t afford it. Monday night, I got two texts that just sent me over the edge. I texted my friend asking if I look like an ATM machine, because that is what I felt like. I guess their excuse is that neither of the people that texted me are directly related to Hill Crest but they both knew everything that happened… and after everything that happened and how much money I spent recovering hill crest, why don’t people understand that I don’t have a bunch of cash just lying around? Do these people have no appreciation for me and how willingly I forked up every penny of my savings to keep things together for the kids? Nope. Not a bit. And that really hurt my feelings and made me livid. I even texted my dad, fuming and sobbing, a message with the big fat F bomb in it before I finally took enough Melatonin to knock me out for at least 12 hours. I turned my phone off, fell asleep, woke up, took a shower and read an entire book before I turned my phone on again. Tuesday was a ‘me’ day and I deserved it. I also realized that if something is going to be done and done properly, I have to do it. Another frustration I’m facing daily but I can only take on so much, so I’m choosing my battles.

Today I met a friend of Isaac’s who is a contact for the sponsor of one of our students, Alice. When he heard about what was going on with Isaac, he contacted Elizabeth who put him in contact with me. The sponsor was contacted and didn’t send any more money. Nobody knew that Alice was already sponsored until I held a parents meeting for our older kids who needed to move to Primary school. Gregory, the contact, met me today and explained to me that they agreed for Alice to be sponsored at Hill Crest for $250/term-$750/year. Outrageous. Gregory spoke to Isaac and said that because of the high school fee, Isaac needed to give some of that back to her family to help them. Then Gregory told me about what a bad situation Alice’s family was in. He also said that Isaac evaded giving the family any of the money the sponsor sent. Gregory gave me the sponsor’s phone number and I will be in touch with him. I asked him to take me to Alice’s house, so off we went. We were met by Mama Alice at the water well on the street, where she was having a big cup of tap water. Then she took us to her home, a mud hut which is falling apart at the seams. It is two rooms with one bed in each, the whole house approximately 10’x12’ give or take a bit. I asked who lived there. To Alice, her Grandma and Grandpa, mom and sister, two Aunts, one Uncle and three cousins. Alice’s dad died last year. Only the Grandma works, and they are suffering. The only security they have is knowing the Grandma’s job is permanent.

So I told Gregory to ask Mama Alice if she would like to come and clean my house and wash my clothes four times a week, maybe even cook for me sometimes. She agreed and will start tomorrow. What we still have to settle is her sponsorship. Now Alice has two sponsors, something that needs to be fixed. So ill be working on that situation this week and hopefully resolve it and have another post about it in the coming week or so.

The Class 1 students we got sponsored and moved to Maasai Joy got their new uniforms today. I’m so excited to go and see them tomorrow! Maybe I will just meet them at the bus stop in the morning again, it’s the best way to start a day!

Don’t forget about the trip in June. Two weeks in Tanzania at Hill Crest and a safari?! How could you pass that up ;) Email me for the itinerary! Katherine@hillcrestpreprimary.com