Aid Expedition Day 4 (Part 2) Photos

 

August 16 - Day 4 (Part 2) We went back to the Catalyst school this afternoon and when the bell rang for the close of school we started doing activity stations with them. The activities included badminton, burlap sack races, drawing, stickers and tatoos, and friendship bracelets. The kids were so excited and had a lot of fun. I helped at the friendship bracelet station. Zach was helping to put the finishing touches on the Catalyst "hope" logo on the cafeteria (I'll post a photo) and finished 2 minutes before the ribbon cutting. Then came the big event - the grand opening of the new cafeteria. All the kids gathered at the entrance for the official ribbon cutting and when that was done the children ran yelling to find a seat practically knocking us over. There are over 200 children at the school currently and there was room at each table for one volunteer. The dinner tonight was a chicken curry soup and baguettes. It was served 1 bowl for every 2 people. The little boy next to me looked so hungry I really didn't want to take any of his. The kids at the school can hardly believe that they are going to get fed every day at school. It was explained to us that most of them probably only get 1 meal a day so the new cafeteria will make a significant improvement in their lives. Their smiling faces made all the work this week worthwhile. Thank you again to all who donated to the cause and/or supported me through your encouragement and prayers.

Aid Expedition Day 4 Photos (Part 1)

 

August 16 - Day 4 (Part 1) We are done with our work and came back to the hotel around 1pm to get showered and changed for the late afternoon/evening activities at the school. The painting is all done, the weeds are pulled, the trash is picked up, the backpacks have been distributed, gifts for this afternoon have been wrapped, and the cafeteria is almost finished. This afternoon we go back for a field day with the school children and then this evening we eat at the school with the community (about 400 in all). I have been eating food at the school all week that has been prepared by the parents so I should be ready for tonight but if you know me at all you know this is way out of my comfort zone. Perhaps you have noticed from some of the pictures of the food being prepared and the dishes being washed that it might not be up to US restaurant standards. I am praying that we have so much Pepto Bismol in our systems that nothing bad will stick with us. I'm struck again this year by how happy and playful the kids at the school are even though they have next to nothing. The families got kicked out of the garbage dump recently and so no many are homeless, roaming from place to place. The cafeteria is going to be a huge benefit to them because the school will now provide them with breakfast and lunch. Most of the families do not have the proper paperwork to prove that they are citizens and are not treated well. We are looking forward to playing with the kids this afternoon.

Day 3 Aid Expedition Photos

 

August 15 - Day 3 It was another busy work day today. We finished painting the cafeteria (except for the window trim), the wall around the school, and most of the addition. We should be able to finish up tomorrow morning. Zach's team continued with clearing weeds around the school and helped distribute food and backpacks to the students. Each student received a one month supply of rice, sugar, noodles, soy sauce, and oil. It does not look like a month's worth of food to us, but they are used to eating a lot less food than we do. They also each received a Catalyst Foundation backpack filled with school supplies, flip flops, and a gift from the US. The refrigerator for the cafeteria was delivered today and the electrician was putting in the wiring this afternoon. The eating area outside made progress as well - the concrete is almost finished being poured. It is a time consuming process to mix the concrete because it is done in a machine that is turned by hand and then has to be loaded into a container to dump it. It would be so much easier if we could have a cement mixer like in the US mix it and pour it. The school children also had an opportunity to pitch in today by painting trash cans shaped like penguins. Now that the trash around the school has been cleaned up they will use these to keep the school clean of debris.

Aid Expedition Day 2 Photos