Mimi's post....

This is Juliette Apiyo....

Soooooo…The past few days in Kenya have been amazing yet busy. On Monday my grandma, my brother, and I went to The Baby Center. The Baby Center(TBC) is a place where kids and babies, ages 1 day - 6, will go if there parents can’t take care of them or there parents have died. Its sort of like an orphanage but the relatives like aunts or uncles can go visit and hopefully adopt them. We went to visit a pair of twin girls who were born at Tenwek. My grandma took care of them last time she was here. Their mother died at the hospital for reasons I can’t explain and their dad is very old and can’t take care of them. By the way their names are Faith and Cynthia and they are about one year old now. They occasionally get visitors like their two aunts and their cousin. We went with Faith and Cynthia’s cousin, Carol. When we got there we went in a room and shortly after they brought Faith and Cynthia to us. They were so cute and look almost identical. I tried holding Cynthia first but she started to cry and was probably thinking who are the Mzungus (white people). Then I held Faith and she didn’t cry which was great. The director of the place brought us to where they sleep and there was a whole carpet full of sitting babies and I was overloaded with cuteness. TBC was so much fun but sad at the same time because they don’t have loving parents who care for them.

On Tuesday I didn’t really do much. I worked a little at the Special Needs Clinic with my mom, my aunt, my aunts best friend, and a collage student named Caroline. When I was working I realized how much joy I am bringing to the kids with special needs and also how much joy I am receiving from them. I met this one little kid named Joab. He has CP. Joab was probably the most joyful little boy ever. He always had a smile on his face and he always would laugh. When I was helping him I felt a calling to become some sort of PT or OT when I am older.

On Wednesday I went to the Maternity Ward which is where all of the moms that are getting ready to have a baby or have already had a baby stay. I delivered cookies that my house help, Regina, made. We went to all of the wards and everyone enjoyed them. By the way you don’t get your own room, you are in a huge room with a bunch of other people. After that I went to the Peds ward (the child ward). I promised two little girls that I would paint their fingernails and color with them. One girl had severe scoliosis and right side heart failure. Her head was all the way to her shoulder and she couldn’t move it. The other girl had some really bad hand problem and she has to have heart valve surgery. I ended up giving out a lot of coloring stuff to kids in the ward and they loved it. My main focus was on those two little girls though. They are so strong and brave and don’t complain about anything. They are some of the most happy people I have ever met. I will forever hold them in my heart and pray for their recovery.

This afternoon I am planning to go to the NICU and deliver a stitchery that my grandma and I made. It says Gods Little Angels and I hope it brings joy to the nurses, moms, and most of all the babies. I hope you have enjoyed my last blog of Kenya…….Mimi