HIPPOS

greetings everyone!
the internet was down for many days I am thankful that I am able to connect with all of you today. Thanks for all the birthday wishes! I spent the day in Kisumu with the team and my little friend George. We took a small boat on lake Victoria and we saw a family of hippos! It is the first time that I see hippos in lake Victoria. I bought George a pair of runners for his birthday and he was delighted. His first pair of new runners. His leg is doing very well and we are invited to his house for dinner tonight. We purchased a coucou this morning and took it to his mama's house. She will prepare it for us.
We had another long day at the local hospital yesterday...... The young girl who had eye surgery is doing well, she will have the operation on the other eye in two weeks. I am hoping that I will not be asked for more money...... I will take care of one more surgery this summer and no more as my budget for medical expenses is already spent. There is so much more that I could do if I had more funds..... It will have to wait until next year.
It has been really difficult for me to take care of the construction as well as all of the other businesses but Andree has been so helpful. The rest of the team has left for Rwanda on Sunday, they are having a great trip there and we will connect with them again in Nairobi on Thursday for our trip to the coast. I will be returning to North Maragoli to take care of business and see the opening of the school on August 14. I will then go to Rwanda before returning to Canada. Ahuga is really busy with the coming referendum for the constitution. The vote will take place on August 4.
I am already making plans for next summer. I really need to organize a group of social workers who will go to each house in the 5 villages and make sure that no child is neglected or sick. I have been really touched by some of the cases that I was made aware of this summer.We will really need to build the dorm next year as many of the children will need to be care for by the school.I was looking for some foster care especially for two of them but it is very difficult to find anyone to take them into their homes.The local hospital has provided me with a special powder diet based on protein and vitamins for Alex and John who are severely sick due to malnutrition and for Catherine who has cerebral palsy and who suffers as well from severe malnutrition. I am trying not feel overwhelmed and take it one day at a time. The construction crew is great and very easy to work with, the work is really coming along.Jack who is the construction manager told me yesterday that they do not mind working very long hours because they are so proud to be working on such a good project.
I must end this post as I have errands to run before it is too late. I will write again in

kids love bubbles!!

We arrived safely two days ago but I did not have a chance to get to Mbalee to use the internet. It was so incredible to see all my friends and children! I went to our school site as soon as I arrived in the village and sat in one of the classroom......tears of joy and very thankful for the great work that was accomplish by the crew. I had a meeting with the Maragoli board and the five classrooms will be ready for the children to start school before I leave in August. I am really busy right now working on the details regarding furnishing and painting and........... Great news as well the team of students who are at the house at this time from Canada and the States are wonderful and their team has donated all the ciment needed to do the walls and the floors. They will be involved with the work as well!! They have asked if they could start on the foundation for the dorm so the crew began to outline the area yesterday but unfortunately something is wrong with the blueprint and the architect will need to come on Friday before we can do anything else. He is not a very pleasant man and will charge quite a bit to come but it needs to be done. There is a lot more to that story but I will save this for later...... Just to say that he always prefers to deal with men and I need to be very assertive while remaining extremely patient and polite.....
Friday a big party has been planned on the school site to celebrate the school project and other community projects. We have purchased a whole cow to cook for the occasion as we are expecting around 500 people. Today I had to take my little friend George to the hospital in this town and finally had some time to blog. He was stabbed in the leg a week ago as he was playing with friends and the wound was so badly infected that he needed to be seen by a doctoc as the local health clinic is not really able to deal with severe wound infection. So here we are and now, our youngest and cutest team member Bradley, will write a few words about his experience at the hospital.
To all my friends in Canada
My name is Bradley and I went to the hospital with the Muungano team today because George has a leg injury and he has become my friend. While we waited in the waiting room my aunt Michelle (also an incredible and beautiful team member) blew bubbles for all the children and they loved it and everybody was smiling and laughing!! Over and out from Bradley.

I will be writing soon again I hope......
All my love to you in Canada.
Mme B.