Good news! & Bad news!

Well, this week has been good and progress has been made! The pre-school programme started on Wednesday - the first day was just trail and error really, everyone just finding their feet and learning what needed to be done. By Thursday things were running very smoothly. The kids are enjoying the structure I think and everyone is relishing the calm! Its really great to walk into the pre-school and see all the kids sitting down and playing with the play-doh or to go onto the porch and see the older kids learning their letters.
All week the older kids hae been talking about swimming, you hear this sentence in Lugandan and then you hear swimming in the middle, it so great to see these kids excited about something. Unfortunately, not all of them managed to get 10 stars on their reward chart, so 3 of them had to stay behind...at least they know that we are serious about this and they'll know to try really hard this week so they can do something special. The time at the pool was fun and although the kids were hesitate - but very excited, they had a great time.

On Wednesday, 3 families got to go home with their children!!!! Something that they have been waiting for for about 11/2 - 2 years! It was such a special moment seeing everyone standing on the lawn saying their goodbyes, and to see how happy everyone was to see these children finally being able to leave to start their new lifes with their new mums and dads. All the mamas were happy too, but sad to see these kids go, as many have been with them since birth. One of the kids who hasnt really bonded with her Mum, screamed as she was carried into the van, she obviouslyu enjoys life at the orphanage - as she knows nothing different or is scared of leaving all her friends behind, she is also rather suspicious of mzungus - whites/westerners!!

The sad news is that the 3 other families were supposed to recieve their ruling sometime this week, but the judge is going on holiday on Monday, and then will rule only on Criminal cases and will not start family cases again until September. So these families who were hoping to leave sometime in the next few weeks with their children have to go home without them. The saddest part is that these kids have bonded with their parents - especially with the older ones and they understand that mum and dad are leaving without them.

I find it so hard to understand why the gov. is making it so hard for these people. I suppose that they are worried about child trafficking but these people are so commited, they have spent so much money and have scarificed so much. Its not hard to differentiate the people with good motives and wrong motives. The judge has had 2 weeks to deliberate on these cases, all he has to do is say 'yes' - he doesnt even have to write anything up his seceratry does all of that. This process has been so hard on all involved - parents and children and I cant see why they think its best for these kids to grow up in an orphanage than in a loving home. The whole situation just boggles my mind!!