I also have 27 kids turning up for lessons on the proviso we give them soap to wash with, Vaseline to groom themselves and 200 francs. But I have no money, no soap and no Vaseline. And only 10 francs on my phone. So we have a mini rebellion because, of course, they only study because they get money for it.
We also have one kid acting up in a lesson and when he’s told off by Oswald (my teacher), rips up his book, snaps his pen in half and storms out saying he’s got his ID card now and that’s all he ever needed us for.
Meanwhile I go in search of the thug who’d beaten up my kids, track him down and have a protracted conversation with him through one of our outreach workers about professionalism, me now being responsible for the kids, my hopes, and if there is tension between us and the LDF there will be problems. Then we try, unsuccessfully, to find the chief to arrange a meeting for next week with the whole thug brigade.
Sandra then arrived with some money – hurrah – and when Oswald and Grace return to the house looking very flustered after their morning we dole out their money and buy some soap and quality ‘Sleeping Baby’ Vaseline. Then the carpenter turns up and we begin to work out how I can sleep 8 kids in one small room with triple level bunk beds.
In between all of this, I’m trying to teach Fils how to wash his clothes, telling two more people that I don’t have jobs for them, telling a neighbour that no he can’t charge his mobile phone in my house and trying to humour Fils’ entertainment needs by dancing with him, playing mobile phones in English and listening to him repeatedly count to 10 in French and English, conjugate French verbs and list countries in East Africa.
And that was just the morning. The afternoon was more sedate. We sat down, had another team meeting, did some reports, sent the kids off to play football, made some curtains etc etc…
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