MEET THE CHILDREN

Karen Gibson
DOB August 6, 2001

We suspect Karen is older than what is listed on the intake form, by one or even two years. Karen started first grade this year, but the learning material was not challenging. Her teacher suggested moving her to the second grade, we discussed it with the headmaster and she started her new class that day. We think it will be good for her to be among peers rather than the mother-hen both at home and at school. She learns quickly, is able to write well, read, and can do simple math sums accurately.
The first things we noticed about Karen were her maturity and what a hard worker she is. She is clearly the leader of the group and the rest of the children look up to and listen to her. She has no trouble getting the children to do what she wants; luckily we have not seen her abuse this power. She does have the younger girls washing out her school socks, but they are happy to do it so we have let it slide.

Karen helps with washing dishes, cleaning the house, and bathing the other children. She does not like to go out and play with the others, she would rather stay and ‘help’ us out, but she will go if she is told to because defiance is simply not a part of her nature.

I frequently tell her she is a good girl (because she really really is) and lately she has started parroting, “Emily is a Good Girl.” Each night she says her prays with the maturity of an adult and tries to use as much English as she can. The other day I came down with a fever and she told Ned that she was going to pray for my health…it is enough to make your heart melt!

I often ask her where she learned this or that and she usually replies, “Bibi angu” (her grandmother). I think she misses her Bibi, but I think her Bibi will be very proud of her one day.


Erickson (Erick) Elias
DOB January 6, 2001

Erick is the oldest boy here at Havilah. He began school this year as a kindergartener. We are spending extra time tutoring one of the other children and told him that he is welcome to join, but is also able to go out and play; so far he has chosen to sit at the table and practice his penmanship.

Erick is very giggly and is almost always in a good mood, sometimes so much so that he can hardly contain himself within his long, lanky arms and legs. He always wants to be more involved in what the ‘big kids’ are up to. He likes to watch the older boys play soccer and loves the soccer ball he received for Christmas. Even though it was punctured a while ago, he continues to kick it around every day. Each night he begs to help out in the kitchen, and during bath time he is trying to demonstrate that he is able to bathe himself…we will see.

Every night after diner he says, “Ssank ew verrry much!”


Abdulrabi Asmani
DOB October 13, 2002

Birth Certificate lists father’s surname as Mgunya. Paper work at Global Vessels lists child’s last name as Asmani.

Abdul is an all around great kid. The first two weeks we were here he was always happy and never in need of special attention or discipline. Since then we have discovered that he is in fact a normal little boy, but he is much more discrete with his less than perfect behavior than are the others. He really gets into group singing and dancing, he loves to run and play out doors, and this boy also LUVS to eat!

Abdul is the second eldest boy and we think it was a little hard on him when three of the others got to go to school and he had to stay home with the babies. He is every bit as ready for kindergarten as anyone else. During our preschool time he is able to sit still and follow along with the group, but sometimes misses the concept of the day…all with a big smile on his face. We can often hear him in the next room singing the ABC’s to himself and just last week he made it through the difficult L-M-N-O-P part for the first time!


Dorcas William
DOB December 30, 2001

Dorcas is a loud, excitable, and happy girl. We are working on helping find her “inside voice.” She loves to make up little games and stories, and is frequently the ring leader in getting the others wound up and excited about something. She has never had a discipline problem. Most of the kids love to sing and dance, but Dori really gets into her dancing and loves to perform.

Dorcas began first grade this year and we wonder if she might have the slightest bit of anxiety about going to school. She sometimes drags her feet on the way to school or is in a very mellow mood when coming home and wants to sit in someone’s lap or receive a great deal of hugs, this is not typical for her. Her teacher mentioned that she needed a little extra help in the evenings with penmanship and addition. She looks forward to her tutoring time and even asks for it on Sundays. I think the extra difficulty comes because the teachers do not speak Swahili in class, I bet we would all have a hard time in the first grade if no one would speak to us in English!



Jacquelyn William
DOB March 25, 2003

Jackie is one of the most beautiful children there is to be seen. Her little smile is enough to light up a room. She is very sweet and truly amazed at every new thing she sees. Even if it is just a baked potato with cheese and avocado on top, she will ooohhh and ahhhh and clap her hands with delight. Although she doesn’t really misbehave, she is still a baby in the group. It can be hard for her to keep up with the big kids so she spends a fair amount of time pouting if she is not being held or getting special attention. We are really trying to ignore the pouting spells, but she is so darn cute it is hard not to pick her up!

During preschool time I am amazed at her attention span and ability to sit through a small lesson. She desperately wants to learn all of her colors, but still thinks most items are pink…

Dorcas is her older sister, but we don’t really see a special relationship between the two. They seem to mix with all of the kids as though they are siblings.


Victoria Okuma
DOB August 11, 2001

Victoria and Vivian are twin sisters and both have pretty dynamic personalities (meaning they can be extremely happy one moment and a little naughty the next). Victoria is the slightly taller and more graceful sister, she is very muscular and would make an excellent dancer. (Vivian, who is always jumping around and hanging from things, is more apt to be a fantastic gymnast.) Victoria has a big Cheshire Cat smile that can glow in the dark.

With the two eldest girls in school, Victoria has delighted in taking on their position as ‘first to answer’ in class and is even trying her hand at telling the others what to do. She is the best at English pronunciation, picking up the sounds of words very quickly. Last weekend we had prepared a couple of songs (in English) to sing in church and when the musicians handed her a microphone I cringed. I knew that she had never held one before and certainly wouldn’t know how to use it. She stood up tall and sang so clearly into that microphone I couldn’t believe it…this girl is a natural singing and dancing talent!


Vivian Okuma
DOB August 11, 2001

Victoria and Vivian are twin sisters and both have pretty dynamic personalities (meaning they can be extremely happy one moment and a little naughty the next). Vivi is very small, compact, and muscular; we think she would make a fantastic gymnast. She rarely sits upright and is always hanging from or jumping off of something like a little monkey.

Our first two weeks here we joked that Vivian was hard of hearing because whenever we called her name or asked her a question she would either ignore us and continue doing whatever it was she was doing, or look up and in her high pitched voice squeak “eh?” She enjoys being left to her serious play business of cooking ugali with rocks and dirt. She is the least apt to participate in a preschool routine, there is simply too much ugali to be cooked outside.

I think of her as such a tom-boy, but she absolutely loves to dress up and wear any sort of dress she can get her hands on. She is constantly wearing a skirt that is much too large and asking everyone around to help her tie it, pin it, belt it, or rope in onto her little body.

I call her Dudu Ndogo Angu (My Little Bug) and she thinks that is pretty funny.


Veronica Juma
DOB February 28, 2003

Vero is a beautiful meek child with a GIANT heart. I have never seen her misbehave and sometimes feel bad for her because it is the naughty ones that seem to get most of the attention. She always wants to be the one on ‘the lap’, but never kicks or bats her way into that position like the others. One time she had her food taken away for playing with it at the dinner table and it truly broker her heart. We ended up giving it right back because it is obvious through her heartfelt tears. She is not one of the more physically active or coordinated, if she had dolls I can guarantee that she would spend a lot of time caring for them.

During preschool time she is always going along with the program and was the first to really grasp the idea of ‘colors’. She has difficulty pronouncing English words, but she tries very hard. Obtaining the approval or positive reinforcement from the three of us seems to be very important to her.

We call her Na Mimi (and me, now me, my turn!) because those seem to be the first and last words out of her mouth everyday. Fortunately, she is very patient and will sit and repeat Na Mimi, Na Mimi about 10 or 20 times before her turn usually arrives.


Yasini Andrew
DOB January 15, 2004

Is this a cute kid or what!?! Yasini is a good solid boy. He loves to sit or stand in front of the stereo and listen to the same two CD’s over and over. He frequently plays by himself, singing little songs or just spending time in his imaginary world. We think it is great that he has his own little peace and does not have to be in the middle of whatever ruckus comes along with ten children.

Although he is one of the youngest left home for preschool time, he is the best at sitting upright, paying attention, waiting his turn, and participating in preschool lessons. Having these basics down, I think will do very well when he goes to school.

Because he is not outgoing or demanding he sometimes finds himself lost in the shuffle. For example, if he wakes from his nap late and comes outside to find everyone else with a snack, he will silently move to the corner and start bawling instead of asking for his share. One time we stopped and rested during a walk, after the whole group moved on down the road we realized he was still sitting (and crying) at the resting spot because he had not been specifically invited or told to resume walking. He is pretty darn cute, if these children were for adoption we would want to take Yasini home.


Enoch Godbless
DOB January 5, 2004

Although Enoch and Yasini are the same age, Enoch is the baby of the group. He has a dainty little body which has a way of moving onto your lap with out your awareness. Now that he has discovered that we will hold him….he loves to be held and asks for it frequently. The smile in this photo is a very typical, sincerely laughing Enochi.

Enochi is also a talker and not discouraged by the fact that we don’t know what he is saying most of the time. He loves to pray and we often catch him praying even before his afternoon snack. During evening prayer he asks the Lord to bless his food, and when he decides that someone else’s prayer has gone on long enough he will blurt out, ‘AMEN’ as if to say ‘Next Please.’

Enochi is not much interested in the preschool time we have each morning. There are just too many colorful and enticing objects in the Activity Room for him to put his hands on that he is very easily distracted. He loves to touch everything, and those items he has been told not to touch are that much more fun to…touch!

Enoch is always the kid with his sandals on the wrong feet.

If anyne feels moved to sponsor one of these children, for school or in life, please let us know.

Ned & Emily