October 2006
A ‘normal’ day in Robyn’s life (taken from Newsletter #6)……
5:20am & one of the students phoned from the hospital to say that one is ready for home & one is staying. 5:50am Harrison came over to get their printer back, I had kept it for a couple of days! 6:00am a young lady came with a baby on her back, she told this gut wrenching story about the Ama of the baby dying 2 months ago & they were keeping the baby alive with water from a spoon, I asked to look at the baby & she was a fat little thing so after a little more questioning it turned out to be all lies, she just wanted us to buy her goats milk I think. Growled at her & sent her back to her own village. 6:50am The 10 Community Garden workers are here to collect their Kw200 each, I need to go to my secret safe but William is standing in the door waiting for the money. It isn’t a secret anymore. Money was given out & they all look very happy! I hope that they buy food or something useful. Last night after marketing day there were too many drunk people sleeping on the beach, we had some of the young guys here doing ‘peace’ work during the day, carting water etc, they feel very important if they have money to spend on marketing day. It is usually Kw10 (10cents) each so I don’t think you can buy much booze with that. But if I find out that they were the drunken ones – no more peace work for them. 7:15am Esau is back from the bush with sticks to make a garden bed. He is standing them all on end with a piece of bamboo holding them altogether. The teachers are here for nursery school & they are trying to tie blue tarp to poles because it is blowing a very hot wind. The thatching is blowing off their classroom. The cooks are here to start porridge & we have just given out all the porridge & bowls etc from our storeroom that is working a treat. 7:30am one of the students came to borrow transport money to go home to Salima to see why his Ama hasn’t sent money for this terms fees. He has run foul of the VIBITAC administration department! That means a book somewhere in Sydney’s house with a cross beside his name! OK I’ve had 2 cups of tea but no wash, can you imagine me seeing all these people at home without even cleaning my teeth. Glad this is happening in Africa. I’m trying to make a break for my toilet but not having much luck, here goes!!
It is sooo hot & just 7:30am, it won’t matter what I wear I will be hot & need to change again by lunch time. Bucket shower, beautiful, hot wind blowing in between the bamboo & through the triangle gaps above the walls, really no need to use a towel the wind is like a big hairdryer. 7:50am the bread man calling out Ama Robbiee Ama Robbiee, bought a bread roll for the workers, 10 cents each for really big buns. Hair standing on end but at least clean, still no teeth cleaned (they don’t even notice). I’m hot, I’ve been out of the shower 15 minutes!
Just out to check on fences with Richard, one of the little girls crying at nursery school, turns out it is her first day so a little orange teddy bear to the rescue, his name is ‘First Day’ she will care for him today then he goes to live in Lake House 1 until needed again. 8:15am Went over to see Bruno about some of the students & classes etc, Renae his wife is sick with malaria. Sydney has gone to South Africa with Harrison to a meeting of some kind. Bruno was saying that a bridge has collapsed near Nkhota Nkhota so I hope that he doesn’t get stuck on the way. They may do what they did in the floods & canoe people across then get a waiting mini bus. Richard has just been having a very heated discussion with a poor little girl with her head bowed, seems it is his daughter from another wife who lives at Chifira. Great another wife, I mean, how many does one man need? Just washed out a few of my clothes, talked to the girls about using too much porridge. Got a grass mat for one of the kids to lay on, she is looking like she may have malaria. We have sent a message for someone to come & collect her. We made the decision earlier in the year that we wouldn’t be responsible for carrying sick children home, mainly because we would be blamed if anything happened on the way home. I am serious when I say that malaria can kill these littlies in a matter of hours. They physically collapse before your eyes. It is quite frightening. OK it’s 9:30am & I have lost track of what has happened, I thought that I might take you through a ‘normal’ day in my life but I give up. I’ve had 3 more people to see me for different reasons & I haven’t time to record everything. So there it is my diary notes up until 9:30am! Bet that is going to make interesting reading NOT!
