Do you come here orphan?

The official Namibian Government definition of an orphan or vulnerable child is any child whose mother, father, both parents - or primary care giver - has died, and is in need of protection.

Why is there a need for an official Namibian Government definition of an orphan or vulnerable child? Because there are so many of them.

Why are there so many orphans in Namibia? Death! It's still the number one killer.

And why are so many parents dying? Car accidents, cancers, malaria and tuberculosis account for a large number of these deaths, but since 1995, the major cause of death in Namibia has been HIV and AIDS.

Based on the current rates of infection and death, a child born in Namibia today has more than a one in three chance of being orphaned before reaching adulthood.

The relationship between HIV and poverty is remarkably close - each contributes to the other, thereby worsening the situation for those affected. It is a tragedy of escalating proportions and it is the children affected by HIV and AIDS (note how I said "affected" not necessarily "infected") who suffer from mulitple losses, These children need access to food, security, education, social services and psycho-social support. 

Sure, there are some (remarkably few) posters and advertisements advocating safe sex practices, but they are all in what has been the official unifying language since independence 22 years ago: English. The problem is that only 7% of the population is able to speak, let alone read, English. I have seen free condoms available in the post office and the library ( great for those with enough literacy skills to warrant visiting a post office or library), but not elsewhere. More people are going to get the message from the signs leading to and from the refuse tips which read: "Double Tarp Your Load". That's what some resourceful Namibians have begun doing. They...double tarp their load. (similarly to the Irish ...to be sure, to be sure)

Anyway, lots of orphans means lots of orphanges.

We volunteered to help restore a derelict playground in one orphanage:

 

...thereby making it probably one of the most lethal playgrounds I have ever seen...

and after visitng the Tears of Hope Orphanage in the township of Mondesa on the outskirts of Swakopmund, I befriended the Herero woman, Naftaline, who cares for 15-20 orphans or vulnerable children.

I have become a bit of a regular visitor to Tears of Hope - organising craft activities and reading sessions and generally helping out in the vague hope that I would get to cuddle some of the babies (not in a "pervy-creepy" kind of way...more like in a "I'm-a-mother-of-a-much-loved-but-only-child-and-my-biological-clock-ticking-so-loudly-I-can-hardly-hear-myself-think", clucky  kind of way).

My friend and I were even invited by Naftaline to a ceremony whereby a new local Safety House was presented with some much needed funding. 

My friend and I came to a conclusion that an school holiday outing was deserved/needed/desired. There was overwhelming in-house support for our choice of: The Beach!

We organised the necessary transport to allow the entire orphanage to come the beach for the day. Naftaline was the first one in the bus. She probably deserved the outing more than anyone else.

 For some of the children, it was their first time touching the sea (cue squeals of delight). 

They ran...

...they played...

...they ate the mountain of food we brought...

(no photo available - it all disappeared so quickly)

....they built...sandcastles...

...and friendships

...and they taught a few tricks.

The sun shone, the mist stayed away, the sea breeze blew the "eau de swakop" away. It was a truly beautiful day. Dolphins even did a swim-by just before the sun set.

After one of my visits to Tears of Hope, Naftaline mentioned that she had to go to a funeral. She had someone organised to come and look after the older children for the weekend, but she was going to have to take the littlies with her. I wondered (aloud) what I could do to help. Very quickly, Naftaline asked whether I could take a littlie home for the weekend. Really?? I asked my 6 y/o what he thought and he agreed that it was a fabluous idea. We got to take home this precious bundle of joy for the weekend.

She was so quiet and bright and loving and polite (I could tell she was being polite even though she didn't speak English). She chose her own new clothes when I took her shopping and when we got home, she took off her "old" clothes (which she folded neatly - I pointed out to my 6 y/o!!) and insisted on trying on all of her "new" clothes. I think what she seemed to enjoy the most was having a bath all to herself for as long as she wanted it.

She became one of the family for the weekend...

But only for the weekend.

Adoption laws here are very strict. I'm...too...ah hem...old, apparently.