Dickson

For those of you who have donated to my PayPal, thank you so much! I want you to know that even though school isn’t in session, your donations are still very much appreciated and being put to good use!
During break, the kids stay with their parents or more distant relatives, if the parents need help. Annie said that every time, they return to school in bad condition. She says they fall sick and usually have not been fed well, bathed and otherwise taken care of. Part of this is just because the parents/caretakers don’t know how to do some simple things like bathing children. Annie tries hosting workshops at Ttega for the kids’ parents to learn more skills, but she says many of them who need the lessons don’t attend. So really, now is as good a time as ever to contribute to the children who really need extra help during this break.
This week Cherryl, a volunteer who came from Xenia, Ohio (small world, right?!) is going to markets, buying some clothes and food for a couple of children from Ttega who seem to really need the extra help. The first boy’s name is Dickson. He’s one of the brightest in the school and he’s always energetic and happy. In the class photo he’s one of the furthest from the camera, but one of the first students you notice with his big cheesy smile. He loves playing football and is kind with the younger ones, allowing them to take turns punting the ball and helping them if they fall down, etc. He’s one of the children who thanked me multiple times for buying food for the center’s lunches. He wants to be a doctor.
Because Dickson seemed so stable and healthy, I assumed he was one of the kids who had the better home lives, but Annie told us otherwise. Dickson’s parents can’t afford school fees at all, so Annie and Herman let him attend for free. His uniform has been donated, I assume by a previous volunteer, and his shoes are so small that they have been cut by his mother so that his feet will be able to ‘fit’ into them by poking out of the sides and front. He’s one of the children who routinely comes to school hungry, and has sent Annie into tears asking for more food at lunch time.
Cherryl went into the market yesterday and bought Dickson’s family a lot of food with the money donated to my PayPal. Dickson is one of 6 children in his family. Because of your donations for food, Cherryl was able to buy him some much-needed shoes (a bigger pair for school and another for play) and even some new outfits. I think it’s safe to say that he’s never owned new clothes before, besides his school uniform. Thanks to you, Dickson and his family are going to have a much happier, healthier holiday season and he will return to school in better condition than his family could have done for him themselves. Thank you so much for your help!
I have kind of given up on posting pictures until I get home, but I promise to find a picture of Dickson and post it up here Next week! He’s very sweet and you can tell just looking at him.
Welaba,

Lucy