A Little Girl's Hope

Today I had the most unique experience of the entire trip. Travis and I walked to the orphanage around lunchtime to get the last of our projects done there before our final day.

About halfway there a little girl, about 9 or 10 years old appeared behind us on the road. She was talking to us in Swahili, but we didn't really understand. Most of the people here, especially the children, seem to think it's exciting to just say hello to a Mzungu, so I figured this was the same. I.WAS.WRONG.

After a few hundred yards of this girl following us, I realized she was keeping pace right beside me. Then she was holding my hand. I asked her name. "Queen", she replied shyly. I tried to ask her more things, but she didn't speak English. Even Travis, with his advanced Swahili skills didn't know what she was saying. Queen never let go of my hand.

Travis and I started to discuss what we should do if the girl walked with us all the way to the orphanage. Surely she'd peel off before then...it's at least a 2 mile walk. Umm, no. She didn't even hesitate when we made the left turn to head up the hill to St. Lucia. Where ever we were going, Queen was going too.

We took her inside to the nurses. They were able to talk to her. Queen said her parents were dead. She lived with a neighbor. I figured there was something wrong, but didn't have the slightest idea what to do.

I called Winfrida who told me to take Queen to the Community Leader, near the daycare where we're staying. She stayed at the orphanage through lunch, and when Teacher arrived, we took the school bus over to the Community Leader's office. We had to report her as missing - or whatever she was - so there was no risk of us getting in trouble for her traveling with us. I guess a lot of kids are taken or kidnapped maybe - so we were going through the proper protocol to figure out this girl's situation.

She told Teacher where she lived, so he said we would take her home and find out what was going on there. We all piled back in the bus and Queen gave good directions to the driver. It was about a 40 minute drive up the side of a mountain. I couldn't believe this little girl had walked this far. These were, by far, the worst roads I've seen in Africa. She kept urging us forward, left here, right there, over the bridge. Keep going. Finally we got so far down the road that there was no more road. We had to park the school bus and walk on the footpath. I was really concerned at this point. Where in the world does this girl live???

We walked a few hundred yards into the woods and came upon a house (?) along the side of the mountain. It was a concrete structure. Teacher called "Hodi!" (May I come in?) to the people sitting outside. After several minutes of introduction, they brought us their best chairs to sit on. One was a wooden folding chair. The other was a little table of sorts.

Teacher was so eloquent and compassionate as he explained what happened with Queen. The story was confusing...they said she'd been gone for 3 days. She lives there - with the grandmother, sisters, aunts - and lots of children, 9 total, I think. But she sometimes lives closer in town with another grandmother. Her mother has disappeared. No one knows who her father is. The grandfather was inside. We went in to see him. I thought it was just an empty bed at first till I saw him move. He's near death. The family said he's been sick in bed for nearly a year. I've never seen someone as sick as that.

Every time I looked at Queen during the meeting with her "family" she smiled at me...as if to say, "Please, let this work. Let me get out of here this time." Teacher tried to explain to the family how to best care for a girl like her - with no parents and tons of curiosity.

Later I found out Queen walked herself into town to go to St. Jude and other boarding schools in the area. All she wants is the opportunity to leave her home environment and go to boarding school. She had her best clothes on and her best manners. I guess when she saw us walking she'd already been turned down at all the schools (what school takes a 9 y/o girl who shows up by herself?) and we were her last hope. I was choked up.

Teacher told Queen and her older sister they could come to St. Lucia tomorrow and talk to Winfrida. It's a difficult situation because she lives so far out of town - finding a proper school is difficult. She doesn't appear to be sick with HIV, so St. Lucia probably can't take her in either. Besides, they're already over capacity.

This is the kind of thing that will haunt you at night. I am sure I'll lose sleep over this little girl. I just hope they show up tomorrow. That will be the first step for Queen. Otherwise, I can't imagine how many other times she'll make the long walk into town, trying to find someone to get her into boarding school. It's not a safe thing for a young girl to do. If she hadn't found us, I wonder where she'd be tonight. But then again, that house on the side of the mountain isn't a good enough place for her either.

One more day here in Tanzania. We fly out tomorrow night. I'm not sure yet what tomorrow will be like. Saying goodbye to the kids will be hard. Not knowing their futures is harder. I do know, though, that they're in excellent hands here with Winfrida & her staff - especially Chance, the teacher. His heart is bigger than anyone I've known. I'm so thankful for the time here and the perspective it's given me.

Talk to everyone when I get back!!