New Babies

So for the last week I've been organizing purchases of things to take over. I was fortunate enough that Pine Cone Hill - the company donating the bedding - offered to pay to ship their items over. With those items shipped, I can bring everything I've collected over myself this trip, and after I return (when I've seen exactly what the orphanage needs) I can use the money I've raised to ship additional items over.

While everyone was very generous with what they donated, I didn't really collect a whole lot of kids clothes - mostly things for teens. So this weekend, I used some of the money that I've saved on shipping to purchase clothes for toddlers. I went to TJ Maxx to really get the most bang for my buck - $40 dollars bought about 16 tops, shorts and underwear for the kids.

Then this morning I received an email from Janet, a family friend that we will be staying with in Windhoek who has been our contact with the orphanage, that said the received 3 babies this week: two with HIV and one that had been beaten.

I know that there is suffering everywhere - there are children in NY that are abused or have HIV. That said, I just don't think we can really comprehend the degree to which the Aids epidemic has ravaged Africa. Namibia is one of the more stable and prosperous countries in Africa. Still, there are orphanages filled with children orphaned by Aids. 20% of adults in Namibia have HIV, and the average life span is less than 65 years . Without proper medical treatment, infected mothers often orphan their children. Worse still, is that they can unknowingly pass the disease on to the child.

After receiving the email, I immediately went back to to TJ Maxx, and for $25 got another 15 baby items for children under 6 months. Then came the trip to Costco to buy baby formula. Who knew it was so expensive??? 3 months worth of formula for 1 child (1 month for 3) came out to $120!! After I come back from Namibia, I plan to ship over some more formula and bedding with any left over money that I may have.

Now its time to pack everything up, and hope that the airline doesn't charge me for the extra weight. I can't believe that I'll be in Africa in 5 days, and at the orphanage in less than 10!!