Snakes and ladders day

Day 2 at the hospital started with some music and songs at the hospital classroom followed by some very chilled out snakes and ladders with some gentle film music in the back ground.

Then lunch with the kids at the hostel and some puzzles and games.

Herbie had been desperate to find his friend Karim for some footy, but he was having his kemo session back at the hospital so we went and found him and took him some puzzles. He was lying on his bed feeling rotten-but wow, his face lit up when he saw Herbie and Maimi.

I then played for some of the other ward children who followed me from room to room like the pied piper.

Lovely day-didn't get too lost, or locked out!

The first day...

And it's like we've been here for ever.

Apart from being crazy tried still, Herbie and Maimi took everything in their stride and had new best friends in seconds.Maimi fell in love with 2 little girls of about 2-3 years old called Sophia and Rihanna. Herbie met a boy his age called Karim who is as into football as he is. 

We've started the loom band craze here and it's properly kicked off!

After spending some time at the hospital we went over to the ward to visit the bed bound children. I squealed as I walked into a ward and recognised a beautiful boy that was here last time I was. He's called Clement and he's been back and forth over the last year and a bit-he's finally going home tomorrow, but it's not the end for him and he'll be back soon for more treatment.

The ward is much much quieter than my last visit, when it felt filled to the rafters. Janet explained that it's because it's harvesting time and the parents must work on their farms to get the money to come to the hospital for treatment. Imagine holding off your child's life saving cancer treatment for a few weeks or months even, because you needed to do that run off gigs to pay for it!

We're so damn lucky!,

Herbie keeps asking me who out of the children are poorly with cancer. All of them I say-but he can't understand how they are happy, running around playing football and having fun. It's such a cruel disease, and so tricky to explain-especially when I don't get it or understand it myself.

Tomorrow will be puzzle and snakes and ladders day-if we can drag them away from the loom bands!

Here's some lovely pictures of our first day.....

PS note to self, when we all get home tired, hungry and grubby don't lock us all out of the house as we head into the garden for 1/2 an hours play!

Settling in

So we finally arrived yesterday. So, so tired after a night flight with a change at 4am and a 4 hour wait for the next flight.

I was totally shocked when all our bags were waiting for us at Dar. I counted them all-yes 7 suitcases, 1 cello, copious hand baggage, big violin, little violin, trumpet and 2 children. All there.

It took me about 3 hours after arriving at our lovely house before I realised we'd somehow left a huge big red suitcase at the airport!!

Did I mention the lack of sleep..... So very very tried-of course I immediately burst into tears, as it was one the bags full of donated games, percussion, teddies, presents for all the staff, 130 hand fans for the hospital and loads of other stuff. 

A wonderful chap called Celestine drove me back, through probably the most hideous traffic on the planet, to the airport telling me all the way to stay calm-I hope I wasn't the first over emotional and over tired English woman he'd ever encountered!

My big red suitcase was quietly waiting for me in a corner of unclaimed baggage. 

phew!!! Thank The Lord-and Celestine for that.

Alls well now and we're all excited about going to the hospital tomorrow. 

PS My blooming phones not connecting to wifi-which will be a big pain and mean I can't take photos on it for my blog. Any ideas on that gratefully received.

X

Matt, Richard and me

Matt-International director, Richard-top boss and founder and me-bumping into each other at Heathrow and realising we're on the same flight to Tanzania
Amazballs!

Unbelievable coincidences!

You know when the world moves in amazingly mysterious ways- its astonishing!
We have just bumped into Matt Banks Head of International Program's for Children in Crossfire and Richard Moore who is the Chief Executive and founder of the charity (his story alone is worth a google!).
I know and adore Matt, but have always wanted to meet Richard. It's amazing as we embark on this 6 week adventure working for the small cancer charity under the umbrella charity of Children in Crossfire-that we bump into them and are actually on the same flight as them to Ethiopia.
It's given Chris and I a huge spring in our step and it was such a pleasure to meet Richard and JR from the charity.
Bring it on!!!!

Checked in-tick

7 suitcases, 1 cello, 2 violins, 1 trumpet and 2 enormous carry on bags all checked and done!
Thank the Lord for that!
..... And relax.....

The new Adventure

Well it's 4 weeks until we return to Tanzania. This time I won't be on my own. Chris, Herbie and Maimi are coming too!

Our house as you can imagine is buzzing with excitement and bags of teddys, games and general fun stuff waiting to be found a space in the 7 suitcases we can take.

As usual people's generosity has been amazing even before we leave. Han and Woody have incredibly kindly donated their house to us for the whole of our stay! This really made the trip possible. Chris and I have been loaned instruments to take by Kolla, Terry and Jo. Donations of toys and games have been coming in thick and fast. It's all really taking shape.

Ofcourse I'm still waking in the middle of the night worrying if taking the kids with us is the right thing to do. Will it all be a bit much for them at the hospital? I'm hoping that after a day or 2 they get use to the sites , smells and sounds and start to have fun with the children and actually make some friends.

I know for sure that Herbie and Maimi will very quickly become the people the hospital kids look forward to seeing more than anything. It's just the first shock o everything new that we need to overcome.

I ask Chris and the kids to write a few posts on here so we can really get their perspective on the whole adventure.

Ps £24,713.70 has been donated so far by the efforts of all the amazing gradeoneathoners! I simply cannot wait to see how the money will be spent!
That bit is beyond exciting.

Xx