May at the Children's Home

This month has been busy at the children's home, as usual. We said farewell to our last spring volunteers and thanked them deeply for their time. Volunteers who live at the children's home quickly become part of the family and bring a wonderful warmth to everything we do.

The activity house built during the spring is now complete! All that remains is a few pieces of furniture and filling it with toys and craft supplies. It will serve as a platform for both children and adults at the home for all kinds of activities.

During the past month we also welcomed a new member to the family. A two-year-old girl named Elenesta from the neighbouring village of Ulole. Her father became paralysed and her mother disappeared weeks earlier. The situation was clearly unsustainable, and after meetings with the family, village leadership, and social services in the nearby town of Mafinga, Elenesta now lives with us at Bumilayinga. She has settled in remarkably quickly, and apart from not wanting to sleep with the door closed at nap time, it is mostly smiles and play for the little girl.

We close with the wonderful news that little Janeth has not only taken her first steps but now toddles around the yard as if it were the most natural thing in the world – except when she has done something naughty and needs to make a quick escape, in which case she crawls faster than a weasel.

No one can do everything, but EVERYONE can do something – and only together do we make a real difference!