Firstly, because on your first appearance, one was shocked that he looked like a walking skeleton, with his rib cage always exposed.
And secondly, for his ravishing smile that would sometimes be so spontaneous - it would disarm you, and you would feel all warm inside and you would conclude his smile was just so angelic.
That this young man, with a severe learning disability could exist and walk around was always an amazement to the caring staff who looked after Juli.
In the seven years that Juli lived with us, he only grew taller but never put on any weight, that was because we only 'just' saved his life, but the damage that was done to him was just so severe for him to make a complete recovery.
Whilst living on the mountain and opening our first children's home, I was asked by the local village chairman to assist an orphan to remove some 'chiggers' from his feet. (A chigger is a parasite that burrows into the skin and eats the flesh, it is very painful, and most active at night).
I walked to the village accompanied by a porter, and was directed to a locked hut. A young women, appeared with a key and unlocked the padlock. The door swung open and a boy came out crawling on hands and feet, and then tried to stand. I assisted him up, but his legs could not hold his torso, so the porter carried him to an outside table. I started to remove the chiggers and the child started to cry.
Next I was aware of the young women who had opened the door appear with a branch in her hand and started to strip the outer layers of the branch off, she then came to the table to beat the child, for crying in front of a 'wazungu', (a european).
That was enough for me, I asked the porter to pick the child up and he carried him all the way to the center.
For the next 4 months I did not have a full nights sleep.
I would go to bed and be woken by the watchmen knocking on my window with "Mama, Juli's out". I would put on my dressing gown and go outside to see Juli on all fours trying to pick tiny pieces of food from off the ground, I would take him into the kitchen and give him a drink of milk and a slice of bread and put him back to bed. Two to three hours later, the same procedure would be repeated, until his brain told him that he was going to receive three full square meals per day, and he did not need to scavenge anymore.
Throughout the years, Juli had many admissions into the hospital for treatment.
At the buriel, to our shock, his mother appeared, social welfare investigation and local neighbours assumed he was an orphan, as the only relative he saw was a grandmother who appeared over the last year.
We held our own service at the home, where all the boys were able to write their feelings and thoughts and goodbyes to Juli,and tie them on to the wreath. His blue trunk where he "squirreled' all sorts of things, (even my grandaughter's new pair of trousers) is to be dug into the garden and filled with plants, so we can always remember him.
It was our blessed priveldge to care for Juli, as he showed by example true humility and forgiveness, which was a lesson to all who knew him.
Mama Lynn (2nd April,'07)
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Hello!
Here we have space on the weblog for all stories about events you may be organising to the benefit of the children and all the good work of Light in Africa.
We welcome your stories (and pictures) to be posted on this weblog so please send them to webmaster <at> lightinafrica <dot> org
Asante Sana
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The following article is taken from the allafrica.com website. As you may have read in our Maasai Story FGM is unfortunately still being practised.
Fortunately, there are also positive developments as demonstrated by this news article:
FGM Practitioners Down Their Tools
Arusha Times (Arusha)
NEWS
March 24, 2007
Posted to the web March 26, 2007
By Edward Selasini
Arusha
In Tanzania Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) also known as female circumcision is among health problems affecting women and girl-children. Adverse effects of FGM can lead to death, pain shock, hemorrhage and damage to the organs in addition to HIV/AIDS infection and other communicable diseases.
Last week on 14 March an FGM activist from Canada Muhoza Hakizimana, was handed over some circumcision apparatus by a group of women known as Enashiva Child Relief from the Ilkirevi village in Arumeru District. A gesture indicating that they have abandoned the practice.
The group had been earning a living by practicing FGM to the Waarusha Community girls in the village. The group comprises nine elderly women who promised not to engage again in the said practice.
Maria Thomas Kivuyo (65) who has meted out FGM for more than 30 years told the Arusha Times that she had no idea that the FGM had adverse effects on women. "I never knew there were such horrible things caused by FGM. All I knew was that this is one of the rites of passage for girls into womanhood".
Mama Kivuyo said that it is true that many people were contaminated with HIV/AIDS infection and other communicable diseases mainly because of lack awareness. The instruments used are shared by the victims of mutilation without any sterilization causing a myriad of infections.
She said that they became aware of the hazard after an activist on FGM Mama Margreth Mjema, a nurse by profession, started visiting them and training them on the effects of FGM.
Hakizimana, Executive Director of International African Child Relief and Peace Foundation of Canada handed over 9 dairy cattle to Enashiva Child Relief Group as a way of generating income after shunning the FGM routine.
" The dairy cattle project, I believe, will work out better and that will help the former FGM practitioners improve their lifestyles , " said Hakizimana.
The Tanzania Sexual Offences Special Provisions Act, a 1998 amendment to the Penal code, specifically prohibits FGM. Section 169(1) of the Act provides that anyone having custody, charge or care of a girl under 18 years of age who causes her to undergo FGM commits the offence of cruelty to children.
The penalty for this offences is imprisonment of up to 15 years, a fine up Tsh. 300,000/= or both imprisonment and fine. The law also provides for the payment of compensation by the perpetrator to the victim of the offence.
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Copyright © 2007 Arusha Times. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
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The best experience anyone can have is to volunteer. To give of yourself completely without wanting anything in return.
We encourage L.I.A. volunteers to share their stories for posting on this weblog. So please send them to the webmaster <at> lightinafrice <dot> org. Asanta Sana
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In December last year, LIA opened it’s fourth children’s home in a most desperate area of Tanzania. The situation is very bad with so many orphans on the street, whose parents have already died of the HIV/AIDS virus. Whilst working in this area, we have had the utmost support from the local government who have been most appreciative of the services that we give to the community. We shall shortly begin a ‘daily food kitchen’ for these hungry children with a donation of food provided for us from an American organization. In January ’07 a cholera outbreak began. Our staff and children where literally sealed inside the center with no-one being allowed to enter the facility, until the outbreak subsided, but today, I have heard this very dangerous disease has reared its ugly head again.. All the patients who have contracted this disease, are being admitted to one dispensary, operated by a wonderful Christian doctor. Today he telephoned me to ask for immediate assistance. He has 8 cholera patients and no drugs to save their lives. He is in desperate need of I V fluids and drugs. Each patient requires at least 10 bottles of fluids to flush the cholera through the system as they are loosing their body fluids.
I left my office in search of our resident midwife, Sister Grace. On my way I met Anton from Germany waiting to see me. I explained that I was in urgent need of assistance to get these drugs to the dispensary, and Praise God, he agreed to fund the drugs and take them to the area in our vehicle. Let’s pray that this epidemic is eliminated as quickly as possible.
mama Lynn
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Here is today's story:
In December last year, LIA opened it’s fourth children’s home in a most desperate area of Tanzania. The situation is very bad with so many orphans on the street, whose parents have already died of the HIV/AIDS virus. Whilst working in this area, we have had the utmost support from the local government who have been most appreciative of the services that we give to the community. We shall shortly begin a ‘daily food kitchen’ for these hungry children with a donation of food provided for us from an American organization. In January ’07 a cholera outbreak began. Our staff and children where literally sealed inside the center with no-one being allowed to enter the facility, until the outbreak subsided, but today, I have heard this very dangerous disease has reared its ugly head again.. All the patients who have contracted this disease, are being admitted to one dispensary, operated by a wonderful Christian doctor. Today he telephoned me to ask for immediate assistance. He has 8 cholera patients and no drugs to save their lives. He is in desperate need of I V fluids and drugs. Each patient requires at least 10 bottles of fluids to flush the cholera through the system as they are loosing their body fluids.
I left my office in search of our resident midwife, Sister Grace. On my way I met Anton from Germany waiting to see me. I explained that I was in urgent need of assistance to get these drugs to the dispensary, and Praise God, he agreed to fund the drugs and take them to the area in our vehicle. Let’s pray that this epidemic is eliminated as quickly as possible.
(mama lynn) . (15/03/07)
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Today Mama Lynn sent following message to the webmaster:
First I give you the update Paul on what is happening in LIA.
Yesterday, we opened our 4th children's home in Mirerani, the mining area, where all the dastardly bad things are happening to the orphans there.
We have been warmly welcomed by the village leaders, and have already documented 511 orphans, without mother - without father - and without food!!!!!!
So we really have a massive commitment in this area.
All my family will be in the UK this christmas time, so that will be a little strange, it will be just like 'old times' with just me........
We now have 152 children who are coming in to our care, so the job just gets bigger every day.......
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Yesterday, we opened our 4th children's home in Mererani, the mining area, where all the dastardly bad things are happening to the orphans there.
We have been warmly welcomed by the village leaders, and have already documented 511 orphans, without mother - without father - and without food!!!!!!
So we really have a massive commitment in this area.
All my family will be in the UK this christmas time, so that will be a little strange, it will be just like 'old times' with just me........
We now have 152 children who are coming in to our care, so the job just gets bigger every day.......
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Hello dearest family friends and supporters of our mission.
I am sorry that at present we are unable to place pictures on the website, and even some information has not been placed on, this is beyond our control.
Firstly, thank you for all your wonderful responses to the two updates that I placed on regarding Flora and Godson. I can tell you that Flora is making good progress, her leg is being bathed with honey each day and when we have sufficient funding, she will be able to have her skin grafts.
Godson is now back walking on his two legs, and we thank God and everyone who prayed for their recovery. At present our concern is with little Papa King. Through our out-reach program we had been monitoring this little down syndrome Massai boys progress. Sister Grace was proving a high protein diet for him each week, as he wasn't thriving, but we then found out that his mother was not feeding it to him but was giving it to her other children., You see, in the eyes of the tribe, Papa king will never make a Moran warrior, so it was considered to be justified for him to be starved. In February, I saw this child on his mothers back, and he was emaciated, with matchstick legs and arms, I realized he would not make it unless, I took him their and then.
Since February he has been living with me at the White House, where he has been receiving a lot of attention from all our wonderful volunteers. They have bathed him and dressed him, had him sleep in their bedrooms, and quite rightly, pampered him immensely, it was our great joy to see him rock back and forth on a rocking horse that was brought in the containers by Allison.
On Sunday, he became really sick, as he has a very large heart, so it was a quick rush, once again for special treatment, Dr, Casey is now caring for him, so we ask for your prayers for this very special little child who presents as a baby but is actually two years of age.
I would now like to personally thank the team members of Accelerated Christian Education at South Africa, who has been so wonderfully kind in welcoming my daughter to their conference, she was very touched by the warmth and kindness that was shown to her. Particularly, I thank Peter Keller who came over to Tanzania to visit with us and made such a moving power point presentation, I cried all the way through it Peter.
Our thanks also go to Lorraine Conn, Lyndsey Prentice, and Judy Brown, all from Canada, who visited with us last year and blessed us by buying a generator among other things, not to forget the cookies that Lorraines friend made especially for me, I understand another batch is on the way, I'm drooling already. We bless you and thank you for your continuing support to our children.
I am also deeply indebted to the medical students from the UK this year, who are sponsoring the salary for Dr. Casey to join us full time. We desperately didn't want to lose him, last week on out-reach he treat 175 patients in one day, and is doing amazing work among our children. Bless you all ... Mungu Akurberiki, Mama Lynn
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Dear Friends, to continue with the news update, the mama we traveled to see on the streets, was indeed in a very sad situation, she is clearly very, very poorly, we took our medical sister grace with us, and all the help that we could give has been given. Only prayers can help now. On one of our mountain outreaches, Sister Grace and Anthony, found a young boy, starving, he was 5 years of age and living with aged grandparents, both parents already passed away with the HIV/AIDS virus. They brought him to me at the 'White House'. I had not seen a child in this condition before. His little face was blown up like a football and he could only see through slits of his eyes, his shoulders were that of a skeleton, but then he had a large tummy, and tree trunk arms and legs. Two paediatricians, confirmed the condition of Kosha Koo - severe malnutrician due to lack of protein. - and he died in his sleep after 6 days...... This is the first child to die at the White House.... I am so thankful that he came to us for his last days. We showered him with all the love he had never known and he died without pain.
Five years ago, when I had made the decision to follow the call on my life, I also brought to Tanza with me, a young 10 year old boy, of whom I had cared for from the age of 3 years. Everyone who visits us soon has a relationship with TOM. After a bad start in life, he has adjusted to life in Africa extremely well, he has many gifts, including being able to speak fluent Kiswahili after 5 months...and is a master with a screwdriver. and he adapted to life here so much, that I actually had to stop him going into Maasailand on our outreach programs, because he would disappear with the young maasai boys and return carrying jars of scorpions, he is fearless with snakes, and can quite easily pick up a panga and chop their heads off when they come into our compounds.... AHHHHHl On Saturday, along with our two volunteers, and some of our children from the home, they visited a swimming pool. Tom, whilst swimming, saw a young boy at the bottom of the pool, drowning, he dived down and rescued the boy.. He then preceeded to place the child in the recovery position, and the child recovered. Praise God. Whilst in the UK, I took Tom to a Red Cross, resucitation lesson program never thinking that a nine year old child would remember such things, but he did, and it saved a young african boys life... Mungu Akurberiki
Mama Lynn
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