Jen - South Africa

sorry for the delay in blogging

2007-04-26T12:18:00.000Z

sorry!

I ahve put no blogs on here hardly at all since ive been away

who knows perhaps one day i may write up my diary entries for you all to see

I realise the picture of the trampoline didnt come up either, i dont know why!

Im still in south africa, and i fly home tonight! Its going to be so hard to leave

I spent yesterday in tears as i said my goodbyes to TLC, the babies and the volunteers. the volunteers have become my friends and the babies have come into my heart and i loved them all! they all had their own personalities and indiviual uniqueness! they were all so beautiful! It was so hard to leave.

anyway, i have put up a picture of me with 3 of the babies during a night shift!

pictures

2007-03-11T17:17:00.000Z

here is a picture of me with 2 of the babies on the trampoline

south africa 09/03

2007-03-11T17:16:00.000Z

Ive been given half an hour off in a 12 hour shift today. Ive never known i an eat myself, hold onto a baby and wash up all at the same time, i really can multitask!

Oh by the way, WE NOW HAVE ELECTRICTY AND WATER!!!!! I CAN SHOWER!! WOOHOO!!! amazing isnt it, you get so used to living in the british culture, having 3 meals a day, electricyt to watch TV, computers etc, water to wash up, to bath in, to wash your hands. Then i come here and its such a culture shock!

I am so tired today, ive been here since 8am and was asked to clear out the main storage room, this meant lifting boxes of aqueous cream (about 30 tubs ot a box) from above my head to the floor and then having to stock take everything in the room! The stuff they have in there are mainly donations and i admit i have never in my life seen so much cream, the problem we have is that most of the cream that is donated is out of date and shops give it to TLC because they cannot sell it, the question is though, why do the shops think that our babies deserve out of date produce?

anyway enoug waffle. This week i am creepy leader, this means that i am in charge of 10 toddlers for 7 hours a day. As you can imagine this is VERY tiring and i end up shattered b the end of the day. The toddlers are hardwork, specially at the moment becaue they are getting to know me and are testing the boundaries. I must admit, i did put a child in 'time out' (a crib that is away from the other children) because she bit me today! She was fine afterwards though. it must be so hard for the children to be constantly under different peoples rules. What is acceptable behaviour for one person may be inappropriate to another. For example, one volunteer may allow a child to leave their milk if they dont want it, wheraes another volunteer may put the child in time out until they drink their milk. Must be confusing for the children.

bless them though, the other night they were lying on the sofa before bedtime and one of the little toddlers Erik, he said to me "I love you jen' awww he was so cute! Even though every day he is a handful, he has his moments.

So what to tell you about the nursery itself, well the babys are all doing well, we have a bout of ear infections going round the nursery at present which is bad news, lots of screaming babies! Lovely.

Im enjoying my time here and the days are going with a blur, the day is so hectic and busy that you sometimes dont even get a chance to sit down and play with the babies, its like a conver belt and you fed, change, put to bed, repeat. there just aint enough hours in the day.

My accent is getting a hit too, people here think its hillarious when i dont pronounce my 'th' 'sh' 'er' they find it funny. Apparently i dont talk like a proper english girl!

I have a day off work on Tuesday, I think im going to Johannesburg zoo with Melinda and her mum (the little girl I picked up from the hospital last year)

tomorrow

2007-03-01T23:25:00.001Z

its tomorrow guys! hardly any time at all!!!

the next post will be from south africa!!

luv Jen

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Friday

2007-02-28T22:39:00.000Z

so this is it!
I fly on friday! not long to go at all!!!! :-)
i cant wait to get out there again and see the kids!!!!
will try and update this when i can
speak soon
Jen

On the countdown

2007-01-19T03:30:00.000Z

hi

Not long to go now! 1 month and 14 days (42 days) till i fly out!
I'm looking forward to the trip, but im a little anxious, its the first time i have done this sort of thing on my own so its a bit worrying - in case i get lost, or i miss my flight! You know the usual things to get worried about!

Ive spoken to melinda's adopted mum twice on the phone now, they are picking me up from the airport so i can see little melly moo! (thats now her nickname!) Shes getting really big now! shes 17 months old! I cant believe it!

There is so much to organise! I have to make sure i have the medication from the doctor that ive been told to take with me, they said i should bring antibiotics with me just in case - so a trip to the doctors is in order.

Im so busy at the moment that i dont seem to have time to think! Ive wrote a few bits and pieces down that i need. i just ahve to hope and pray that i will be okay with finances and stuff whilst im out there. I should be ok, just gotta make sure i dont over spend!

I got a camcorder for my birthday so i will have video footage of the babies. For christmas i have been given a day out at a safari - pilanesberg. So lots of photos and videos will be taken of that too!

Im excited bout this trip, i cant wait to see the babies! there are hardly any of the original crew there from when i was back there in 2005. Gatsha and Fana went back to their mum the other week! she was so pleased to have them home.

I think the only ones still there are: Lillian, Lerato, Thulani, Faith and Jolene! Thats 5 left out of 35! Pretty good going if you ask me!!!

Right i best be off, im currently on a night shift, thats why the unusal time!

Jen

Major Update

2006-11-12T13:03:00.000Z

hello!
Tickets are booked!!!!!!

Change of plan thought, i am now going out in MARCH!!!!
I fly out March 2nd, and return 27th April!
I honestly cannot wait! Part of me is nervous though, its the first time i have travelled on my own - before it was been with soapbox. I'm also a little worried as 2 months is a long time to be away and im a little anxious i may get homesick!

Currently, i am trying to organise the final bits and pieces, emailing south africa has proved rather idfficult for me as i would prefer to ring and sort out things, emails arent very personal and i often feel a little rude, i never know how to word things!!

i will try and keep this updated!
love Jen

South Africa 2007!

2006-08-08T08:09:00.000Z

Hey
So heres the news
I'm going to TLC for 2 months next summer.
Im hoping to be flying out during the beginning of July and returning the end of August.
The paperwork for TLC has been done, I'm looking into the cost of flights etc

There is a company called 'Key Travel' who arrange cheaper flights for people going out to do charity work, i cotacted them and they have provided me with a really good deal on flights.

So far its looking good for me to be back in South africa - only problem there may be is in getting time off work
I start my new full time job in September, health care assistant at a hospital near me. I havent asked them yet for the time off so hopefully fingers crossed it will work itself out! If it doesnt I will quit the job, go to South Africa then start university - maybe!

I cant wait to return to South Africa, I feel that part of me is still out there

Oh, and just to give you one more piece of news! I told St John Ambulance my plans and they have donated me £500! Nice one! Thanks to the Lord Westbury fund in St John Ambulance for the VERY kind donation!

thats all for now
Jen

Melinda 1st Birthday

2006-08-03T08:08:00.000Z

Happy Birthday Melinda!
I cannot believe you are 1 already

I have recieved an email from melindas family and its so lovely to hear from her new mum and dad. They are so happy to be a family.
Im so happy for my little angel

Fana and Gatsha

2006-06-05T13:53:00.000Z

my boys have grown up so much!!!

Fana when I was at TLC

Gatsha when I was at TLC

NOW LOOK AT THEM!!!

they were a year in February! They have grown up so much!

news on Melinda, my baby

2006-03-07T21:11:00.000Z

hi guys
Some bad news but some good news too...

Bad news...
Melinda, we found, is positive for Cornelia de Lange syndrome (which has a short life expectancy) Basically its a condiiton in her genes which affect her growth both mentally and physically...

good news...
There has been a local family that fell in love with her before we got the results of her test. At first they couldn’t see how they could still take her, but have since changed their minds. They will hopefully complete the adoption this month. What a blessing for her to have a family that loves her enough to go through such pain knowingly!

i cried when I foudn out about my little angels condition, not a day goes by without me thinking about her... Im just happy she is having a home and will grow up somewhere where she isloved unconditionally...

Melinda - My baby Girl!!!

2006-02-08T15:01:00.000Z

I receieved an email today with some pictures of Melinda when she was 4 months old. These pictures were taken early December...
She is now 6 months! I cant believe it!

This is her when she first arrived at TLC:

And these are her at 4 months! What a change, shes so beautiful!!!

Gatsha - My little boy!

2005-12-15T09:33:00.000Z

There was some updates on how some of the babies are getting on.
Heres a picture of Gatsha, he's sooo gorgeous!!

This is his twin brother Fana!!!

New Homes

2005-12-09T13:23:00.000Z

Update on babies that have been adopted.

Bryan was adopted the other day to an Austrian family.
Helena (now called Joanna) was adopted a couple of months ago

There are probably more babies than I know of, im just waiting for news that my little Melinda is going off to a new home...

Your help please

2005-10-19T09:28:00.000Z

Ok, back to the robbery at TLC,
Pippa is the daughter of Thea (the lady who set up TLC) she lives on site with her 2 adopted boys. She left a letter on her website with the following plea for help.

"Dear Friends,
My cottage was robbed AGAIN! The night before last. They took the entire lounge suite, my bed, fridge, microwave and kids mattresses)! It has left me and everyone feeling very vulnerable and fearful. This has precipitated the need to share with you a great and exciting plan but under fairly urgent and (I'll admit) slightly panicked emotions!

We would like to build a solid and secure wall around the premisis, 1 meter at a time, with a space on each wall for the sponsor to put a little reminder of themselves on it. Volunteers could buy a section and put something personal on it, families could make one for their babies, sponsors could help us make one for each deceased baby and over time we would have a great wall containg 100's of special memories. This would serve to make TLC safer and more special for the babies who returned later to take a walk round the perimeter and see all those who were special to us and those who had been instrumental in helping them to live!

I think it's a great idea, I'm just sorry it has to be announced with this much urgency. Our current volunteers are already trying to drum up some support for it back home and we are letting as many people as possible know. Each 1meter section (2.2meters high) will cost R1000 (about $150 US)

Please encourage everyone you know to support this project. Life in SA is unpredictable and fairly scary at the best of times, but when you are constantly under attack, it makes life a lot harder.

I know I don't get on here much to write and I know many of you don't really know me, but I do see each of you - in our life here at TLC you are all the reason we can do this work, it is a partnership and while I don't communicate it to you - I appreciate you and am conscious everyday that while my hands are here doing the work - I am working for all of you as well, fulfilling a little of your hearts desire everyday.

Thanks

Pippa"

So as you can see, they are in desperate need for more security. Its not only to protect Pippa and her family but also to protect the babies at TLC.
thea left this message:

"My heart is for keeping TLC safe and any spare pennies you have can be added to this wall project. We will have to give it all our energy now because this is the third attack in a short space of time and I am afraid they won't stop now that they have noticed our weaknesses. We can't have them breaking down all our hard work."

PLease, help, if you can spare any money, of even if you want to fundraise, send me an email jen_pyper@hotmail.com and I'll be mroe than happy to give you more details

please help them keep the litttle angels of South Africa safe.

thank you

Update on my babies!

2005-10-13T08:13:00.000Z

Hey
This is an update about the baies in South Africa which I received the other day.

Africa
Laura
Helena
Philipa
Julie
Nolunthandu (Nolu)

These babies have all gone to a new home!! Philipa and Julie went to their biological gran and Nolunthandu went to back to her biological mum!

Oliver was meant to be going to a new home but he developed bronchitus so is still at TLC recovering, he should hopefully be going home soon though

Skye and Rhila have been moved up to the next age group 'fledgings'! They are all growing up!!

Melinda, Gatsha and Jolene all seem to be doing really well which is so great!

Its so odd, I still really miss my babies! I think I will end up going back at some point, even if its just a visit.

Cant wait to get my password and login for the 'My Family' website, I really want to find out all the updates!

On a bad note, there has been 2 break-ins at TLC, the home of Pippa was burgled and practically everything was taken, including the matresses! Since then there has obviously been a lot more security, including an armed guard!! Scary!

Thea is still travelling round Europe and actually saw Helena in her new home, she seems to have settled in really well!
Anyway best be off

Update soon when I have more news

Jen

Added diary entries

2005-09-09T11:45:00.000Z

I have added my diary entries from when I was over in South africa. They are back dated so you will have to scroll back to find them.

Overview

2005-09-08T09:47:00.000Z

So here are some of the many photos I have. If you want to see any more please feel free to drop me an email on jen_pyper@hotmail.com

photos 5

2005-09-08T09:32:00.000Z

(Left) This is Faith. She is 18 months old. While we were at TLC she became very poorly, she has HIV and due to the poor immunity she has she suffers from pneumonia. On this instance she was very poorly and the hospital refused to treat her saying she was too poorly and would die. TLC however didnt give up on her and took her to a different hospital.

(Right) This is Faith a week and a half later, she was a totally different child! Laughing, smiling and being a typical 18 month old child!

(Left) This is Oliver, he is 3 months old

(Right) This was one of the many sad experiences of being at TLC. This is a memorial plaque on it, it says: "In memory of Africa's children big and small who have shared our lives and our love"

(Left) This is the memorial sun dial. It has the names of all the children that have died. Sadly it is almost full.

photos 4

2005-09-08T09:23:00.000Z

(Left) Me and Gatsha!

(Right) Philipa, Julia and me

Both these children are walking. Julia will hopefully soon be going back to her biological mum!

(Left) Skye, Jolene and me.

This photo was taken on night shift and I'm suprisingly awake!

(Right) Trevor, the premature baby that came into TLC with Melinda

photos 3

2005-09-08T09:16:00.000Z

(Left) These children are from Lesotho, they walk on average 2.5 hours a day to school and another 2.5 hours home from school!!

(Right) Feeding Melinda, the premature baby. She nearly doubled her weight in the 3 weeks we were there!

(Left) Gatsha fell asleep on me on the sofa and then a while later so did I!

(Right) Nikiwey!

The 3rd premature baby that arrived at TLC while we were there

photos 3

2005-09-08T09:09:00.000Z

Jolene (Left)

Jolene was abandoned in a carrier bag and was attacked by dogs. The bag saved her life. TLC have taken her into their care and she is a beautiful 3 month old baby girl.

Lungelo (Right)

Lungelo is nearly 2 years old. He has HIV and is very tiny for his age. He has the most cutest smile and stole a lot of the teams heart in South Africa!

Mbekezi (Pronouced Mbekki)

Mbekezi is one of the 'creepy crawlies' he has a cheeky yet gorgeous personality. Currently he is learning to walk!

Lerato (Left) and Philipa (Right). They are both in the 'creepy crawlies' room. Both walk and are currently learning to talk.

photos 2

2005-09-08T08:44:00.000Z

(Left) Gatsha! My angel!!!
Gatsha is a twin with Fana, his mum died in child birth. He is 6 months old

(Right) Bryan

Cameron (Above)

Thulani (Right)

Thulani has pneumonia, he has a celft pallet which affects the pneumonia due to the milk going into his lungs.

Africa (Left)

Africa was one of the babies that was adopted into a new family while we were out in South Africa

(Right) Isleen

photos

2005-09-08T08:21:00.000Z

The team at Gatwick airport.

Melinda the new premature baby. Weighed 1.6kg (just under 3.5 pounds)

African sunset

huts from Lesotho, the houses the people of Lesotho live in

home!

2005-09-07T12:22:00.000Z

ahh, home sweet home.

Sorry for the lack of updates, the email system wasnt working very well and the person I asked to update this site never received my emails! :( grr!

So well, where to start! Currently I'm in school and havent got my diary on me to write a full report of what I got up to whilst over in South Africa, when I do though I will definately write more blogs!

But my highlights of the trip were:

1) The arrival of the new premature babies, Melinda and Trevor - they weighed 1.6kg each (just under 3.5 pounds!) even though obviously it was sad to have heard that they had been abandoned it was also such an experience to be able to be the person collecting them and giving them all the love and care they needed! I grew to love Melinda so much that it was so hard to leave and I cried!! What a wimp!

2) Playing with Gatsha (A 6 month old baby boy) who was so gorgeous! I took him out quite a lot for walks. His laugh and smile was sooo cute!!!!

3) Visiting Lesotho and seeing how the people there live. Its such a completely different culture, the mud huts and the school were so different. The kids walk 2.5 hours to school and 2.5 hours home! Such a long way!!

4) Seeing the smiles on the childrens faces at the kids club when they had made their own sock puppet and name plate! It was such fun!

5) Hearing the babys laugh!

6) Watching the improvement of Faith who everyone thought would die and has miraculously survived and is such a lovely child!

The down sides of the trip were:

1) Hearing the stories of some of the kids and knowing that they have had such a bad start to life.

2) Being ill!

3) Having to clear a trailer that was covered in what looked like vomit but actually was kitchen grease, fat and left over food like sweetcorn - smelt worse than vomit and baby nappies combined!!!

4) Having to leave the babies there.

I will put some pictures on my blog as soon as I can find time to. Hopefully tonight but who knows in my house right now! lol! Mid move! Very hard work! lol!

Anyway will update again soon
Take care guys

Love Jen

Day 17

2005-08-30T10:02:00.000Z

Today has been hard!
I had a 3 hours break so I accidently fell asleep on the sofa with Gatsha curcled up on me!
Grubs was very hard! I was on my own and it was the first time I had ever doen it. I felt like such an idiot!
On a lighter note we had the 'jewels of hope' sales tonight. It was lovely!
TLC will be starting their project in September for the street kids here. It was a very moving presentation and I felt my eyes fill up a number of times!

Day 11

2005-08-26T09:55:00.000Z

Day 11
Today was our day off. We visited Lesotho. Our guide drove like a maniac! We visited a school, the kids there walk 2 and half hours to school then another 2 and half home again!! Commitment!
We also did a hike up a mountain to see some cave men paintings, which was actually quite cool. We had to climb through caves and over rock piles, was quite fun! After the hike we visited a witch doctor, it was actually quite scary! Then later on we tried some home made beer - it was gross!! They tried getting us to eat fried mice!

Day 10

2005-08-23T09:54:00.000Z

Day 10
A new premature baby arrived at TLC today, her name was Nikiwey, she’s so cute! Jolene moved up to Fledglings today!

Night Shift 2

2005-08-22T21:54:00.000Z

Night shift 2
This whole night shift thing is trying my patience! Trying so hard to remain calm when I’m stressed at people. It’s not their fault its just me being tired and groggy!
The work tonight though seems ok. I’ve kept myself busy. Its now 11:30 and as yet I haven’t fallen asleep. I’ve cleaned the baby baths! Mopped the floors, cleaned bottles and generally did odd jobs that needed doing! Alongside obviously looking after the babies!!
Wooho! I stayed awake the whole night!!! The TLC team fell asleep but I stayed awake!! Feel so proud!!

Night Shift 1

2005-08-21T21:53:00.000Z

Night Shift 1
So I’m sitting here at 10:45 and I’m so tired! It’s quiet now and that’s a bad thing cus I’m going to get even more tired.
Well, hated last night, I fell asleep about 3 times!! It was horrible!
At 6am I went to bed. Slept rather well during the day but the water wasn’t on at TLC so we couldn’t have a wash!

Day 8

2005-08-21T09:53:00.000Z

Day 8
Today we went to a South African church, it was quite cool actually, lively! After the church service we went to an African market! Am on night shift tonight so need to get a bit of sleep

Day 7

2005-08-20T09:52:00.000Z

Day 7
I’ve been up to my eyeballs in washing today!!! I know now how my mum must feel!!
Popped into the nest today to see how Melinda was getting on. She’s grown so much!! She had a dummy in her mouth, it was so funny, it covers most of her face!! She’s doing really well!
Faith is still poorly and has been readmitted to hospital. Hopefully she will be okay.
Rilah is better now.
Spent the afternoon cleaning the creepy crawlies toys, they were disgusting!!! It was rewarding though to see how clean they looked afterwards!

Day 3

2005-08-19T18:05:00.000Z

Heya i'm having a great time here at the moment. It really is amazing, even though im not very well. I have a tummy bug. The bug is going round the whole orphanage at the moment.

I had a phonecall from the hospital in Johannesburg telling us that two premature babies had been abandoned. One little boy and one little girl. They weighed 1.6kg each. They are sooo tiny! I was asked to go to hospital to see them. I dressed the little girl, now called 'Melinda' and got to cuddle, play and feed them both. They are so gorgeous even in an incubator!!! The little boy was named Trevor. It was so cute.

There is one little girl called Faith, and she is 18 months. Faith is HIV positive and last night we were told that they didnt think she would make it. But she is, she's really fighting. She is such a gorgeous little girl.

Some more good news is that 2 babies got adopted, Neo (a little boy) and Isabella (a little girl). Neo is going to live in Germany and Isabella is going to Denmark.

It is such an amzing experience here, i will update you again soon!!!

Day 6

2005-08-19T09:51:00.000Z

Day 6

Faith made it through the night!

Day 5

2005-08-18T09:50:00.000Z

Day 5
Am ill today, been up since 2am throwing up! Not nice! Had to spend the day back at the cottage sleeping.
This evening everyone returned really upset. Apparently Faith was really poorly and she might not make it through the night. Also one of the TLC team from America was called to say her dad had died during the night.
So, yeah, today has been really tough.

Day 4

2005-08-17T09:50:00.000Z

Day 4
Melinda was out of her incubator today because she has a fever; she seemed to perk up again later so hopefully she will be okay!
Faith came home today!! Lois (one of the girls on the team) is a children’s nurse so will look after her tomorrow!
Rilah (one of the babies in the nest) is ill today, he couldn’t keep any of his milk down. Bless him.

Day 2

2005-08-15T09:50:00.000Z

I’m so tired!!! Its only 9pm and I’m in bed! I’m absolutely shattered! Today I ahd to be at TLC for 8:30am! Once I got there I was put doing storage clean out. We had to tidy boxes of hundreds of milk formula! The upstairs part had to be tided so I got that job!! Next we transported so much baby equipment from the stores to the outside garage. We also moved 1600ish baby food jars that were out of date. Its such a shame really. People give TLC out of date food as if they would feed babies stuff that isn’t valid for children normally. It feels like these children are regarded as second-class citizens!
I did a lot of manual lifting today – it was such hard work but also very fun! My ankles and back kills now though!
After doing all the lifting I hung out in creepy crawlies and grubs for a bit. While in grubs Marion (team leader) asked me if I wanted to go with one of the TLC staff to pick up 2 new premature babies that had been abandoned in Johannesburg hospital! On the way to the hospital I found out a lot about some of the babies stories and stuff. One of the sad stories was that there are lots of girls between 12 and 14 that are raped due to the old wives tale that sex with a virgin will cure HIV. Many of these girls then become pregnant. One of these girls still lives at TLC and is such a strong girl, I feel so proud to have met such a strong character.
At the hospital we went up to the baby ward and went to 2 incubators. The babies were just so tiny!! As soon as I saw them I fell in love with them. I was asked to dress the baby girl and get her ready to leave. I remember just sitting there looking at her and thinking how beautiful she was. She was born August 2nd and was 8 weeks premature weighing just 1.6kg!
When we got back to TLC both babies were placed in incubators and I was allowed to feed the baby girl, it was so amazing!! Later on the manager of TLC, Joanna came round and named the babies Trevor and Melinda.
Other things that happened today was that 2 babies Neo and Funiwe (Soon to be called Isabelle) have new parents. Neo is going to a new home in Germany. His new family are lovely! They already have a little girl that they adopted from Vietnam, she’s so cute too! Funiwe is going to a family in Denmark.
One of the little girls at TLC is 18 month old Faith, she is in hospital at the moment with pneumonia, we aren’t sure if she will survive. It’s really sad.

Day 1

2005-08-14T09:17:00.000Z

Day 1
After a very long flight (10 hours 45 minutes!) we arrived in South Africa. It seems so weird! There seems to be money in Johannesburg but then almost immediately outside there is graffiti and slum like buildings. Its hard to explain.
The weather is lovely, sunny but not too hot! We arrived at TLC at about 2pm and had a tour around. They have 4 baby rooms:
Nest = 0-3 months
Fledglings = 3-6 months
Grubs = 6-crawling
Creepy Crawlies = Crawling to older
We have been given so much to do, its unreal! I don’t think I’m going to remember everything!
The babies are so cute!!! Jolene is gorgeous! She’s a little baby girl from Nest.

Today!

2005-08-13T09:16:00.000Z

heya

So todays the day! I fly at 8o'clock tonight! I'm leaving at midday so as I can meet the team beforehand and check weight limits on suitcases!

I slept really well last night which suprised me seeing as usually when I'm excited I cant sleep! But I suppose its a good thing seeing as I probably wont sleep on the flight!
I'm hoping the plane will have movies and stuff on them cus otherwise I'm going to get soooo bored!! Hoping they might have Madagascar on the flight, but I doubt it! (They sometimes have movies on flights while they are on at the cinema! They did with Shrek 2!)

This is so unfair! I cant find any decent songs on the music channels! 3 weeks wihtout music and the last song I listen to the morning before I fly is Britney Spears followed by Billy Piper! Its sooo annoying!! oh well! I expect there will be lots of music over in South Africa that I will grow to love!

Anyway, hopefully this blog will be updated during my time in South Africa, If I can I shall email people as well. We'll see how much internet access I can get shall we!

Take care
speak soon!

Jen

Team picture!

2005-07-19T08:45:00.000Z

This is a picture of the team:

Orientation Weekend

2005-07-04T09:26:00.000Z

Last weekend I met the team that I will be going to South Africa with
Its a team of 12 females. We have a wide age range which will be cool.
I think we'll all get on really well! I cant wait to go now!
The weekend consisted of us chilling out, finding out what we would be doing out in South Africa as well as getting to know each other.
When the pictures have been put on the Soapbox wesite I'll post some pictures up on here.
We also saw some pictures of some of the babies that are in the orphanage at the moment, they are so adorable! We also found out that there are 40 babies under the age of 2 at the orphanage! Thats a lot of babies and alot of work!!

Its 5 weeks this Saturday till I fly! Times going so quickly! I havent even bought all the stuff I need yet!
Its going to be so much fun!
I cant wait! Let me go now!!!

Got the money

2005-06-19T22:41:00.000Z

I have all the money I now need for the trip! yay!

Now I need to start getting the equipment I'm going to need. Have got the orientation weekend on July 1st-3rd, going to meet the team, it should be good!

am looking forward to it so much, its less than 8 weeks away now!

Auction News

2005-05-08T20:11:00.000Z

Thank you to everyone who came and bidded for stuff!

Raised a Total of:

£730.59!!!!!

Thanks also to the local businesses for contributing items to the auction!

Auction Items

2005-05-05T21:54:00.000Z

Items In The Auction (The number on the left is the lot number)
1 = China milk jug & saucer – nice piece – white & gold marking made by Noritake Japan
2 = 2 pine IKEA bedroom lamps – 2 pin plug
3 = Country style cheese platter & glass dome - BOXED
4 = Wind up torch radio (water resistant)
5 = 3 multicoloured grass hula skirts fit adult – great for fancy dress.
6 = Box of assorted metal patterned biscuit tins (6)
7 = Voucher for a 15” Pizza with 4 toppings purchased from ‘Medway Fisheries’ in Somersham.
8 = Plastic children’s animal set – family group of bears – 1 large brown, 1 large white, 3 small brown, 2 small white.
9 = 10 VHS videos (mostly Warner)
10 = Easy chair brown & fawn floral pattern – brown wooden frame
11 = Second Easy chair brown & fawn floral pattern – brown wooden frame.
12 = Signed autographed pictures from Songs of Praise – includes Jonathan Edwards
13 = 2 CD’s by Nicki Rogers – Feeder Lane & Homeward (2nd CD signed by artist).
14 = Brand new Deluxe Chopping mixer – hand (not electric)
15 = Wooden 6 legged brown antique style table with brass dish top – very unusual
16 = Small binoculars & radio set with belt clip & ear phones
17 = Kinder Egg figures – 6 gnomes
18 = Plastic children’s animal set (2 seals, 2 hippo, 1 walrus, 1 penguin, 2 turtles, 1 alligator, 1 large frog, 3 small frogs)
19 = Footbath
20 = 1 ‘Athlete’ (chart topping band) T-Shirt (signed by all the band) – for a male (medium size)
21 = 1 ‘Athlete’ (chart topping band) T-Shirt (signed by all the band) – for a female (medium size)
22 = Michael Owen electronic goal blaster game (boxed)
23 = Plastic children’s animal set – family group of 9 dogs
24 = Voucher for one return taxi trip to St Ives for up to 4 people from ‘Gina’s Private Hire’ in Somersham.
25 = Signed autographed pictures from Songs of Praise – includes Jonathan Edwards
26 = Six piece crockery set – 6 cups, 6 dinner plates but only 5 side plates – white with a yellow/grey flower pattern.
27 = Old Tennis & Squash rackets with restrainers – perfect for display in pub etc.
28 = 3 wicker holders – 1 letter rack – 1 small basket + 1 hanging pot holder
29 = Plastic children’s animal set – 4 lambs, 1 turkey, 2 cats, 1 squirrel, 1 mole, 1 hedgehog, 1 deer
30 = Reversible trousers for 2-3 year old tartan design. Made by seesaw.– donated by Raptor Krafts
31 = Wreath made from corks with grapes as a decoration - donated by Raptor Krafts.
32 = Signed autographed pictures from Songs of Praise – includes Jonathan Edwards
33 = Easiest Book of piano classics – sheet music + Absolute beginners drums book (includes CD to aid training)
34 = Kinder Egg figures – 9 playful penguins
35 = 1 ceramic red & green marked terracotta pot.
36 = 6 piece dinner set white with grey/pink flower design – dinner plates/side plates/bowls/cups/saucers + extra dishes
37 = Turquoise and green lava lamp
38 = 1 Marble ‘herb crusher’ heavy bowl (pestle) & mortar made by Colemason
39 = 7 VHS videos – Includes Animals of farthing wood
40 = Pine wooden oblong tray with serving spoon & fork
41 = Onyx heavy green apple with brown flecks
42 = Two Onyx green bunches of grapes with brown flecks
43 = 6 white with blue floral pattern cups
44 = 5 candle sticks on metal stand (Menorah style) with candles.
45 = Signed autographed pictures from Songs of Praise – includes Jonathan Edwards
46 = 2 CD’s by ‘Steve’ – Falling down & Prelude (both CD’s signed by band).
47 = 2 bird prints (framed pictures) bullfinch & woodpecker + circular picture frame.
48 = Reversible trousers for 4-6 year old – blue check. Made by seesaw.– donated by Raptor Krafts
49 = CD by Blush UK – Sunshine
50 = CD by Dan Wheeler – Ten things to do
51 = Animal Ink stampers – 1 walrus, 1 tiger, 1 penguin, 1 dolphin, 1 unidentified animal (answers on a postcard….)
52 = Beautiful 2 piece reversible top & trousers for 4-6 years old. Made by seesaw. One side shows teddy bears – donated by Raptor Krafts
53 = Medium sized original oil painting donated by Ruiz Art Gallery – painting shows ladies dancing on a beach
54 = 12 VHS videos Includes Forest Gump
55 = Plastic children’s animal set – family group of 5 pigs (3 large, 2 small) + group of cows (3 large, 3 small)
56 = Small china ornaments – house with mice, mice in burger, dog in basket, teddy in car, teddy with toys.
57 = Print in frame of ‘The Luncheon’ (medium size)
58 = Practical Householder magazines from the 1950’s and 1960’s - 12 magazines in total
59 = Signed autographed pictures from Songs of Praise – includes Jonathan Edwards + Songs of praise no year diary called ‘book of days’
60 = Kinder Egg figures – 4 penguins, 1 squirrel, 1 fish, 1 hippo, 2 turtles
61 = Black with white trim ladies zipped jacket size 10
62 = 6 cups & saucers – old Chinese blue on white style
63 = Green towelling top & trousers for 6 months old. Made by seesaw. Giraffe on front.– donated by Raptor Krafts
64 = 6 assorted floral mugs
65 = Trust Colour Hand scanner + 2 PC encyclopaedia’s CDs and ‘TEKWAR’ game + Databank with PC link.
66 = Box of assortments
67 = Assortment of 9 books
68 = Beautiful reversible trousers for 1-2 year old. Made by seesaw. One side shows jungle animals. Donated by Raptor Krafts
69 = Teddy bear lap tray - blue
70 = 6 cups & saucers – fine china white with gold rim and small floral design
71 = 3 metal slatted vases & fruit bowl
72 = Christmas cathedral musical bell – Boxed Christmas decoration
73 = 21 Animal Ark story books - paperback
74 = 2 small vases – 1 pinwheel 17cm 24% lead crystal made by Bohemia, 2nd is a primrose 5.5” real lead crystal – both boxed.
75 = Blue Top for 18-24 month old -donated by Raptor Krafts
76 = Box of assortments – children’s
77 = 2 Children’s puzzles – 36 character misfits & 24 picture match cards. Both games boxed.
78 = Brown wooden fold up chair with wicker like seat
79 = Kinder Egg figures – 7 crocodiles
80 = 2 pine framed pictures of Somersham high street from bygone age – not originals – printed on computer.
81 = 1 chair to aid bad backs – pressure put on to knees
82 = Plastic children’s animal set – large ostrich, 2 small ostriches, 1 ostrich hatching, 1 large horse, 1 giraffe, 2 small elephants & 2 gorillas..
83 = Reversible trousers for 4-6 year old – blue check. Made by seesaw – donated by Raptor Krafts
84 = 8 paperback books & 4 hardback books - romance
85 = Blue Top for 18-24 month old -donated by Raptor Krafts
86 = 13 Disney videos includes Jungle Book, Lion King
87 = plastic children’s animal set – 3 tiger cubs & 2 lion cubs
88 = 12 paperback books – science fiction
89 = Signed autographed pictures from Songs of Praise – includes Jonathan Edwards
90 = Phillips coffee maker for two with cups (boxed)
91 = Personnel CD player
92 = Kinder Egg figures – 6 lions
93 = 3 Songs of Praise CD’s – includes Christmas album
94 = Voucher for £10 for ‘Toms Cakes’ Somersham
95 = Foldable picture frame with map of world + small floral design clock + 3 candlestick stand +2 homemade candles
96 = CD by TBC – Mind your head
97 = Metal silver 1940 Hurricane plane on base (flying)
98 = 2 X Pot plants donated by Parkhall Garden Centre.
99 = 11 VHS Videos – includes Chicken Run
100 = 3 Item set – Japanese gold & black picture frame (24kt gold edged) made by ‘The art of Chokin’ + small plate of same design also 24kt gold edged made by ‘The art of Chokin’. + Quartz clock of similar design.
101 = 4 earthenware containers – 1 square art-deco vase + jug with decorative spout and handle. Includes 2 pots (mug shaped)
102 = 1 Decorated Teapot (Brown & white speckled design) + brown cream jug + 4 various coloured mugs by Ashdale potteries.
103 = 1 orange design pottery container made Jeff Banks London + white with floral design pottery coffee container + blue metal
104 = Voucher for a Trim & Blow dry OR a Trim, shampoo & set from ‘Elizabeths Unisex salon’ in Somersham.
105 = 1 beautiful Greek design small vase with handle hand made in Cyprus by Meonis – 24k gold décor. + Similar design wider vase with peacock design made in Cyprus by Mosis (also 24k gold décor) + very small perfume container in similar design.
106 = Voucher for a free MOT test at ‘Rays Garage’ in Pidley
107 = Voucher for a guided tour & a chance to meet the owls & hawks at the ‘Raptor Foundation’ in Woodhurst. This also includes a photo with one of the owls or hawks, a flying display and free coffee/tea.
108 = Beautiful large original oil painting donated by Ruiz Art Gallery – local fenland scene. Signed by Ken Hayes (05)
109 = Signed cricket bat by Northamptonshire Cricket club including Alan Lambs autograph. Also includes a cricket jumper with Northamptonshire logo worn in match.
110 = Nut bowl & Hammer

AUCTION

2005-04-30T15:49:00.000Z

see post 'AUCTION!!!' for the list of items
or click here to view the auction post

radio and update

2005-04-30T15:28:00.000Z

hey
Went on the radio thursday morning, it was scary but it went ok! :) heard it back again in the car on the way to school! its quite scary hearing yourself on radio!

Anyway, I got the card from Soapbox back the other day, I have to raise £300 more, that means I've raised £1200 already! not bad! :)

Thanks to local businesses I have some good stuff for my auction!
Have also now been given 2 original paintings for it.

If your around for the auction drop in

Saturday 7th May
2pm-4pm!
Somersham Baptist church

need anymore details drop me an email jen_pyper@hotmail.com

Radio!

2005-04-27T14:51:00.000Z

Tommorrow I am going on the radio to talk about what I'm doing in South Africa. It's hopefully going to be good! Am looking forward to it in a slightly wierd - I'm so scared! - way!
Will post tommorrow about how it went!

The Blog

2005-04-26T12:45:00.000Z

I'm getting the hang on blogging now!
Should be off to the bank tommorrow to get another cheque to send off to Soapbox!
I'm getting there now!
:D

engage HIV AIDS

2005-04-25T16:07:00.000Z

Links!

2005-04-21T13:45:00.000Z

wow! I really dont know blogspot very well!
The code on the template says the websites I want it to but when I publish the blog the links go back to the default of edit me and google news!
Does anyone know what to do?

Make Poverty History video

2005-04-21T13:19:00.000Z

http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/video2.html
Take a look

Pictures From Ecuador

2005-04-21T13:17:00.000Z

This is a picture of me and a little boy in the slums in Ecuador

This is a picture of the meeting house in the slums, before we rebuilt it

And this is it rebuilt!

All good!

2005-04-21T10:26:00.000Z

Got an email back from Soapbox last night to give me the address of the place to send the cheque to, they said it wasnt a problem about the card and that I could get another one easily!

Have been given another £175 last night! am really happy! :D

uh oh!

2005-04-20T14:43:00.000Z

Went to the bank today to get a cheque written out fot Soapbox, but I've lost the payment card! Its in my house... somewhere! Ive had all my files out and I cant find it anywhere! :( I'm just about to send an email to Soapbox asking them to write me out a new one. (Hopefully they will have records! I'm sure they will) So yeah, slightly nervous at the fact I'm now going to admit what a complete muppet I actually am!

Fed up with blogspot!

2005-04-19T21:03:00.000Z

I cant get the white band logo on this blog! No matter how hard I try it just moves everything down. If anyone has any suggestions please leave me a message!

I also want to put this on my site:

Its a banner from www.engagehivaids.com

Make Poverty History

2005-04-19T20:52:00.000Z

Hi,
I wanted to make people aware of the make poverty history campaign.
check out www.makepovertyhistory.com email Tony Blair, wear a white band! Get involved!

South Africa

2005-04-19T20:24:00.000Z

This has been taken from a forum I visit regually:

Since January I have had another pay raise at work which is very nice! Hehe! I also got a bonus in March which I wasn’t expecting! I have also been appointed as the first aider at work so I receive an extra £5 a month – which isn’t much but every little helps!I have done a tombola and guess the name of the teddy! Was quite successful, raising £50, it also promoted what I was doing and had various donations mounting to the total of roughly £150! Not bad for a weekend!

I run a kids club in my church and when one of the parents found out what I was doing they gave me £40! My school is now aware of whats happening and they are supporting me, I was allowed to do a sponsored silence in school, it was so hard! But I did it and raised another £200! My leaflet and posters are now going to be put on the staff notice board to ask them for baby clothes and other things to take with me!

One of the most amazing but slightly freaky thing happened just before I went to spring harvest! I went across the road to visit a friend and when I came back my mum told me a letter had come through the door, it wasn’t sent to me cus there was no address. Just my full name! I opened it and inside was £60 with a note saying: “This is a little something for your trip!” There was no name or nothing. I was shaking cus it was quite odd really! My mum told me she heard it come through, seconds later she opened the door and there was no one there! Ran down the road but I couldn’t see anyone!

The other night a man gave me £100 towards my trip! My church have given me some money and people have been sponsoring me and supporting what I’m doing!

Diary From Ecuador

2005-04-19T11:02:00.000Z

This is something that I wrote to my old church when I got home from Ecuador

Ecuador has been and gone! So fast, it seems like only yesterday that I actually was planning to go on the trip and now I’m home! I had a fantastic time away and Ecuador is just so amazing! Our flights out there were such a mess! The flight from Gatwick to Newark airport was delayed so that meant we missed our connecting flight to Quito, we were stuck for 4 hours in Newark airport whilst our team leader tried to sort out another way of getting to Ecuador. The team bonded really well in the airport as we spent so long talking to each other and playing cricket with a plastic bottle and juggling ball! Eventually after a lot of arranging our team leader told us we would be spending a night in a holiday Inn in Newark then get a flight next day to Miami, then to Panama then finally Quito!

We got to spend the night in a really nice place! When we looked out of our room we could see the Manhattan skyline, was so cool! The next day we flew out early in the morning to Miami where we had to stay for 4 hours until our next flight to Panama. I got to go out the airport, it was really badly raining, but it was so hot! The flights went well and eventually we got to Quito 24 hours later than expected but it worked out well in the end because the other 2 members of the team arrived at the same time as we did in Quito. (They flew out later than us due to other arrangements they had) That night we spent in a hostel, the next day we made the 4-hour trip to Santo Domingo.

We arrived at the final destination of Santo Domingo late on Monday night, we all had a quick look around then went to bed. The room I stayed in was really small but nice. I shared it with 2 other girls called Jess and Kim. We all got on really well and had the most amazing mess you have ever seen by the end of the first week!

On Tuesday morning we started work on our first project – Concreting a playground for the children in OrphAids. We found out we would be making the concrete by hand, seeing as we had no cement mixer until later on in the week! It was such fun making the cement but it sure was hard work! We worked from 8am till midday on the building site then had our lunch and went back to the building site in the afternoon from 2pm till 4pm. That evening we had our first devotion session where we prayed and thanked God for all that had happened that day and for the fact we had all got to Ecuador safely. In the devotion we had little worship sessions where our team leader Simon and a team member called Chris led on the guitar and keyboard. That evening I got my first glimpse of a cockroach! It was sitting in the shower room! It was so disgusting! Cockroaches are horrid!

On Wednesday we were back on the building site in the morning then we went for the first kids club in the barrio (Slums). It went really well and I totally thank God for Briony, I have no idea how we would have coped without her to translate for us! It was hard to communicate with the children as they spoke Spanish and I don’t! Eventually though I worked out how to communicate with them through body language and learning the odd encouraging phrase such as Bien (Good) and bueno (Good).

The transport to the Barrio was such a laugh and extremely dangerous, it is totally illegal in the UK to use! It was us all standing on the back of a pick up truck! We have no idea how fast we actually were going and we couldn’t find out because the drivers speed dial didn’t work and was constantly on 0 miles and hour! It was VERY fast though and really fun to go on! During the evenings the team got to bond more as we had our own free time where we could talk and play games. We played many games such as Frisbee, football and a game called Mafia, which is a detective game and really fun! I loved the team I was with and got on well with all of them. I’m missing them all! The children we met at OrphAids were so cute! I loved them!

There was one little girl called Brendita, she is 4 and lives on the site with her mum, auntie and granddad. She isn’t part of the OrpAids project but she lives on site because her granddad is the gardener. Her auntie has extremely bad arthritis and is bed ridden so we visited her, as she gets bored stuck in bed all the time. Brendita became part of the Soapbox team, she was so cute and I spent many hours playing with her and her dolls during my free time. I remember one night I was trying to write my diary and she came and sat next to me. We spent the next hour drawing pictures in my notebook!

Some of the other children that were at OrpAids had really sad stories attached to them. One little boy there is called Victor. He is 2 years old but he has an illness that causes his brain to continue to grow but his skull isn’t expanding, that means that although he is 2 he looks only 6 months. Along with this he also has HIV so he doesn’t have a very long life expectancy. Its really sad though, he has the cutest smile and I know he is being looked after really well in the OrphAIds centre, the house parents (the people who he lives with at OrphAids) are so lovely and I know they look after him so fantastically!

Another child that lives on site is called Lukimba. He is 5 and has AIDS; his mum lives with him on site. Lukimba was born with HIV (his mum is HIV positive) and over the years its developed into AIDS. He too doesn’t have a very long life expectancy; he isn’t expected live past his early teens. Its so sad, he is such a happy lively boy. I know I will remember Lukimba, he was always playing knock and run on my room door and I remember when he made us all laugh when he ran up to us when we were having our small meeting and started dancing! OrphAids do a fantastic job and I certainly support all the work they do. There are about 30 kids on the site, all of which have their own story about how HIV and AIDS have affected their lives.

A lot of the children’s parents died and now they live with house parents. House parents are people who have given up their everyday lives to come and live on the OrphAids site; they act as foster parents and take care of all their needs. The children at the orphAids site also go to school so they are all being educated and will hopefully get good jobs.

On our first weekend in Ecuador we went to the jungle! It was really good until Laura – one of the girls on the team. Fell off a tarzan rope and injured her ankle! She was ok though and by the end of the trip we were all laughing about it! The jungle was cool though and we saw LOADS of insects! I saw killer ants as well! (Was told I was standing on their nest, luckily they were inside so it wasn’t too bad) The jungle guide person picked them out on a stick - they are seriously HUGE! About an inch long! After the jungle we went to an outdoor pool centre we were all relaxed and had a great time! It was so lovely! On the Sunday we went to an Ecuadorian church, it was really strange hearing some of the songs we sing in church – like ‘we want to see Jesus Lifted high’ – in Spanish!

In Ecuadorian churches it is normal to have 2 preaches. That’s ok but the only problem was I couldn’t understand any of it! It was an experience though and was cool! The Monday of week 2 was when we started building the new meetinghouse at the Barrio. We had to rebuild it because the old one was rotting! It was not very good looking. That meant we had two building projects going on, a lot of work but it was so much fun! The barrio taught me loads. The way all the men in the barrio pulled together to help us build and the attitude of the people there really touched me. I remember when we were asked to go to the barrio because they wanted to present us with something. We all went along and were so touched when they presented us with a plack that had all our names on it, it thanked us for the work we had put into the kids club and the building work. They hardly had any money but they all pitched in to buy us this plack, I was nearly in tears! It was such an emotional experience and its something I will certainly remember! The women at the barrio were crying and kept saying gracious (thank you). They gave us far more than we gave them. They gave all of us such a welcoming and their whole attitude to life just astounded us, its made a real impact.

I got to knock down the back room of the old meetinghouse! I was kicking the wood with my steel toe capped boots and just whacking it with a crowbar! If you need anything demolishing give me a call! It was such fun! We dug the foundations for the new walls and made the concrete etc. It only took 3 days to build the new walls! We had so much help from the people at the barrio it was so nice to see them pitching in.

On our second weekend off we went to Otawalo. It’s an Indian market (American Indians) and it sells traditional hand made Ecuadorian stuff! It was so lovely! Later we went to the centre of the world and stood on the Equator line! The view from the monument was so good! On our way back to the place we were staying it required a 4-hour bus journey downhill on a mini bus packed with 15 people! The roads we were travelling on were bendy and there was literally like 5 metres between the cliff edge and the road. One of the girls didn’t feel very well so we stopped. As we all got out we noticed smoke above one of the wheels. The break fluid had leaked and the wheel needed to be changed for some reason. It was really odd because if the girl hadn’t been ill and needed a break from the bendy roads I don’t know if the drive would have been safe! God was really protecting us on the trip and it was really cool to see him working!

The kids club went well! I really enjoyed doing it and making friends with the children there. On the outside of the meetinghouse we painted a design of children playing games with a rainbow and sun in the background. It was enjoyable to paint and all the people in the barrio loved it. It was so cool and I loved every minute of the painting!

On the last day of our kids club we held a party for the children, they all made crowns and bracelets. We played party games with them and did face painting, It was amazing, the smiles on their faces as they were playing and having their faces painted was so cool to see! I’m really going to miss the kids from the barrio, they were all such amazing kids and despite the conditions they lived in they still had such a positive attitude to life!

The whole trip has taught me so much about life and I’m really hoping I can go to Ecuador sometime again to see all the kids and the other people I met on the trip.

My First Blog

2005-04-19T11:01:00.000Z

Hey My first blog! hmm... not much to say! Am currently on the phone whilst typing this so I have no idea how this stuff works! This blog has been set up so I can speak about what I will be doing in South Africa in summer 2005 Suppose I could start off with telling you a bit about Soapbox - the charity who I will be working with: Taken from their website http://www.soapboxtrust.com/ "Soapbox specialises in taking teams on practical aid and mission projects to some of the poorest areas of the world. We are a Christian organisation but do not proselytise and we are not sectarian. We believe in earthing our faith by demonstrating God's love through practical, caring action. Soapbox Short-Term Projects is a part of a registered charitable trust that specialises in taking teams on practical aid and mission projects to some of the poorest areas of the world. Skilled and unskilled people of all ages, backgrounds and walks of life have been on our projects since their launch in 1993.We are a Christian organisation but do not proselytise and we are not sectarian. We believe in earthing our faith by demonstrating God's love through practical, caring action. We believe firmly in the validity and effectiveness of short-term projects and would encourage you to think about the possibility of joining us on one of these life-changing experiences.Every year, Soapbox gives hundreds of people the opportunity to serve in third-world countries. We have built clinics, feeding centres, vocational training units, classrooms and multi-purpose facilities in some of the poorest locations on earth. We have conducted health education and basic medical care programmes. We have also been involved with culturally sensitive mission, supporting the work of local churches worldwide.Currently we are working in South America, Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia. We keep our running costs to a minimum and our budgets tight - and yet Soapbox is one of the largest short-term service agencies of it's kind in Europe with a track record spanning some ten years.Soapbox turns good intentions into practical action - and it works for teams and those we go to serve! The conditions people live in need to be seen to be believed. Overcrowded; little or no sanitation; no clean water; pollution and disease; children dying of curable diseases - you name it! We do not build concrete jungles, destroying communities and imposing our western lifestyles on people! We are concerned about basic human rights - clean water, good nutrition, proper sanitation, medical facilities, education and tender loving care. We are a voice for those who cannot fend for themselves. We give people tools to stand tall, live right, feed their families and bring hope in a world of despair. You can be part of this and you can make a difference!" Will post another blog with the information about the Ecuador trip TTFN!