Sorry it has been a few days- working late combined with getting sick does not lend itself to internet usage. I'm feeling a little better so I decided to make the mile trek down to the internet cafe.

Here is another link for some more pictures of the kids: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24414765@N07/?saved=1

Most of the younger kids (the kids in the group I teach) are doing very well. I'm so surprised at how quickly Adam and Sadi have picked up reading small words- they are fantastic and so intelligent! Adam is absolutely brilliant at math. He sailed through addition and subtraction and he has picked up multiplication with ease. I only have to show him things once and then he understands perfectly. Maybe I need to start doing calculus with him to challenge him...... :) Unlike Adam, Sadi didn't take to the multiplication as easily. I let Adam go a little early so I could spend some one on one time with Sadi. It took some time and some creative ways of explaining the multiplication tables but I think he understands it now.

Some of the other kids are having some problems grasping the alphabet. Juma just cannot seem to grasp the concept of the alphabet; its like his brain is just not processing the information. I will say "A" and point to it and ask him to say "A" (sema A) and point to it. He can do that but once we move on to "B," "A" is completely forgotten, as if we didn't study it. We have sung the alphabet song hundreds of times, each time with me pointing to the letters as we sing them but he never says the letters in order. But, he thinks he is doing it correctly and doesn't understand why I keep saying, "hapana, hapana" (no, no). Yesterday, when I arrived to work, he came running out of the boys room with a piece of paper in his hands. After I had left the evening before, he wrote down the alphabet to show me the next day. He was so proud of his work and I thought maybe we had had a breakthrough, maybe he finally got it. But when I looked at the papers, the letters were not in the correct order and most were backwards. He could tell from my face that he had not done it correctly and he took the paper out of my hand, crumpled it up and threw it down. It was a sad morning for both of us as I tried to explain in my (very) broken Swahili that its not his fault and that he will learn it eventually and that he is still a very smart boy. I'm somewhat at a loss of how to effectively teach him but I'm trying everything I can think of. Today we sat and made the letters out of play-dough and that seem to work a little and he was very proud of himself, sticking out his little chest every time he got a letter right. But I'm not sure if tomorrow (or even later today) he will remember. I just keep hoping that eventually it will all click, but until it does, I'll try everything I can think of to help him learn.

Dula and Modi are also having some problems learning the alphabet but I think that is due to laziness on their part. It is easier for them not to try (and do the same thing every day) than to work hard, make progress and learn new things. They are both really intelligent and it will take some creativity on my part to get them motivated.

Adam was bit by a scorpion today. We have also been painting the inside walls of the orphanage and some of the kids have been helping move things. Apparently, Adam was moving some bricks out of the way and a scorpion claw ( is that what it is called?) attached to his finger. The other kids helped him get it off and he came in screaming and crying. While CJ and I were preparing him for the hospital, Amita (house mom) went outside to see the scorpion. She came in saying we didn't have to take him because the stinger was still intact and that that is where the poison is kept. He was still pretty upset but I gave him a piece of candy and that seemed to make it a little better.

So, its been a little crazy and a little trying but I'm finally having the time of my life. I love it here and I'm a little sad to think that in 4.5 weeks I will be leaving the kids. But, I won't think about that. :)

Namaste!