Wednesday

Today the rewired team returned to Fountain of Hope to carry on installing the Internet Cafe and begin putting desktops into a classroom. We had constant visits to the Internet Cafe from boys asking if they could try it out, but it's not connected yet so they'll have to wait, probably until Monday – they are so looking forward to this. I've put a web cam onto one of the PCs and will put Skype onto that as soon as I can get onto the internet.

On the way back one of the team bought sunglasses at the traffic lights, paying just as the lights turned green and our minibus was pulling away – Oakeys for around £4.50 instead of the £50 ticket seen in UK high street shops – bargain!

After lunch Pastor Benson came to talk to us about how the church is using the Jesus film as outreach – this team will be taking part in one of the showings with some of the team sharing their stories during it.

We then had free time so I investigated the swimming pool, which is an unexpected luxury which was deliciously welcome because it's become rather warm (probably high 80s).

Later in the afternoon the whole team went over to Fountain of Hope where we were made very welcome by the boys (and some girls too) and team members – the leading lights of this place are Vasko, Kenny and Vincent who have such huge hearts for these children, and such patience – sometimes the children return to their old ways, but they are still cared for year after year. Vasko himself came from the streets – he has no idea when he was born so has to guess at his age. During our visit it was so evident how much love, nurturing, stability and confidence the team gives to the children.

We were shown around the complex (including a splendid art room and library that have been styled as typical African round houses). The tour included a visit to the vegetable garden and the kitchen, which was really clean but lacking in a cooker (they cook outside over an open fire, either with charcoal (when available) or plastic bottles (when charcoal isn't available). 

 (this is Vasko in the vegetable garden)

We also paid a visit to the clinic, run by Fida who is a lovely warm motherly lady and who holds clinics for the Fountain of Hope children, other street children, and under-5s in the community. Her dream is to be able to hold anti-natal and post-natal clinics, and although she has a room that can be used for this it still needs a treatment bench and a foetoscope (if that is how it is spelt!). I was given a very generous donation by 2 ladies (retired nurses) from Romsey Abbey, and I feel this is the right place to take that donation – I can imagine them in that clinic with Fida.

After a while we went into the library round house and sat in a circle in a specially made sunken area – a child sat in between the visitors, so we were alternating, and then we took it in turns to say our name, where we are from, our age (ahem) and what we want to do when we are grown up – everyone then gave a “kilo” (a bit like hip hip hurray, but with a special call and action at the end, which varied from person to person – my call was honey because I said I'd like to keep bees & hens when I grow up (if that is a gauge of when I grow up I suspect I'll never grow up! But it's good to have a dream). We then had time to play with the children. I was so hoping that I wouldn't have to play football or basketball, and was relieved when a little girl called Sandra took me under her wing. We played pat-a-cake and some strange game involving gravel and bottle tops, and I taught her noughts and crosses in the dust.

We got called back into the library again where the children (and then us!!) were called into the circle to recall a memory verse with it's meaning, with (of course) a “kilo” for each person. Then it was dinner time, sharing with the children in the dining hall. An older boy came to sit next to me – he had only been at Fountain of Hope for 4 days, having come there from another town to take himself away from the spiral of nightclubs and parties that were distracting him from his studies. We chatted about the political situation (especially Greece & Euros), the recent elections, and his hopes to become a musician and writer – he especially wants to focus on political raps. After dinner all the children lined up outside along our way to the minibus, and shook our hands or hugged us as they bid us good bye and God bless – on our journey home we had plenty to talk about, including thoughts of improving the kitchen area while we are here as an extra gift to Fountain of Hope.

The place is astonishing and has some awesome leaders who provide a father figure to the boys - and hope.