This is why

From my jounal: After supper Pastor Steve took me around the village to see how some of the children who come to the school live. It was pitch darkness, there is no electric in this area here and even if there was they couldnt afford it - i think I was quite relievied in a way as it meant i couldnt see the full horror of the way some of them live!
The first family lived in a small lean-to shack at the back of a larger wooden building where apparently they show blue movies (when they can afford electricity from a generator). The smell of alcohol on the men standing around and the stench of other things was overwhelming BUT so was the delight of the family of children from Rock of Joy and their mother that the Muzungu (white person) had come to visit their home - I feel so embarrassed when they kneel to me, all I wanted to do was cry at the situation I see and they are honouring me.... so difficult... we stayed for a while and chatted to the children then headed through the thronging candlelit village past stalls and shops with everywhere the smell of burning firewood from small "stoves" over which the women cook outside. Next we came to Denis's house. Denis is one of the boys who lives in our Boarding House - last year his mentally ill father had tried to burn their house down and had died leaving mum with a large number of children who she struggles to look after. Dennis was taken in to the BH because he was being abused and PS wanted to show me his home. In the darkness we almost tripped over a sleeping pig (interesting experiance) and walked into a goat before literally stumbling over Denis's 4 year old brother. Late at night in the complete darkness this ragged forlorn little one was sat outside on his own. I was hard not to pick him up and bring him to a place of safety. No sign of mum, no food, no light, no warmth , no affection - such a picture of sadness and despair. So, here was a such a poignant reminder for me that is for him and children like him that we do what we do and why The Kabanda Trust is so important to the future of the children at Rock of Joy school.