Today I didn't go to the hospital, but instead I had to privilege to join a group of students with the organization Internation Medical Aid in going to the St. Patience's Orphanage. On our way we got to see a new part of Mombasa that we hadn't seen before. It was pretty run down and the road up to the orphanage was a mess. It had rained last night and the whole road was muddy and we managed to get our 2 vans stuck. We ended up walking part of the way and luckily the vans were unstuck by the time we left the orphanage. When we arrived at the orphanage, we were instantly swarmed by some of the kids. They were egar to hold our hands and get their pictures taken. We then made it to this small little building and when a group of us entered I was surprised to see how many kids were in there! They instantly started singing in Swahili to welcome us in their home. After they were finished we made our way back outside and I found out that the little building we were in was their school. The teacher, Patience, informed up that she schools 88 kids and that they do have to pay for their schooling. Many of the kids that attend school have guardians or parents, who were in attendance today. The main purpose that we visited the orphanage today was to conduct a mobile hygiene clinic. We were equipped with a large number of toothbrushes, toothpaste, and soap films, and we were all able to show the children how to properly brush their teeth and wash their hands. Some of the students had a chance to practice their skills and did a great job at it. We also spent time playing with the children and they sang for us some more.
Being able to come here with the International Medical Aid organization was amazing. In the U. S. brushing our teeth and washing our hands come naturally. Here it was different. Many of teh children did not know how to do either of these tasks. I learned that many of the kids use sticks without toothpaste to brush their teeth, while others don't brush at all. Many of the kids who used toothbrushes (sticks) quite using them because their gums would bleed.
It was a wonderful experience to come here. The kids, parents and caretakers were all grateful for us coming to homes. They were all so egar to take pictures with us and the kids loved getting their pictures taken. They would all swarm you and any chance they got they would hold your hand, your arm, or even just your shirt. I would say that the feeling I had was bittersweet by the time I left. It was sad that most of these kids don't have parents, but it was also warming to see that these kids still had a light in their eye and a smile on their face.
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