A very trying day

Today has been the most trying day so far. It's Wednesday, so I work in the classroom. I did get a better breakdown of the class structures at the creche. We have 2-3 year olds in the daycare room. There are two classrooms, these are for the 3-4 year olds and the other room is 5-6 year olds. Then the children move onto primary school.

I was working in the 3-4 year old room today. It appears most of the children are closer to age 4 right now. Well, today they decided to move my little buddy Chumani (he's the picture I attached!!) into the classroom. He is one of the cerebral palsy boys that we transport from their orphanage to the creche. Now..let me remind you....this is the magnificent little boy that is 6 years old and is very bright. This is the boy that speaks fluent Xhosa and can also speak some English, German, and Afrikaans. He is very smart but has never had opportunity to go to school. The manager of my creche has decided that Chumani is too advanced for the daycare room and she moves him to the 3-4 year old room. It quickly became very obvious to me that the teacher doesn't want him there. In fact, it's become very obvious that none of the teachers want either boy there. Which amazes me seeing as the whole point of Home From Home is to offer a safe and loving environment for children affected by HIV/AIDS.....children that are different...children that face discrimination in their own communities...yet, they don't seem very tolerant of these two boys, that too are different. It's as if they don't want to be bothered. One of the teachers actually came out and said about Chumani, "He doesn't belong here. He's not like the other children. He needs special care." I pretty much told her that Chumani was very bright. That he wasn't mentally challenged at all, that his hips and legs just don't work.

So, Chumani is brought to the classroom and put in his chair. The children are forming a circle for their prayer and song time. They make their circle in front on Chumani, leaving him out. The teacher says nothing. I pick Chumani up in his chair, seperate two children from holding hands and I put his chair in the middle and link his hands with his neighbors. The next song came and hands were let go of, and the circle formed again...in front of Chumani. I again, parted two children and put him in the middle. I had to do this three times.

Then, it was time to do a writing assingment. She sits the kids at tables, while she gets their papers and pencils out. They are just to write zeroes. I remember that from last time. They just have them write zeroes...the teacher stated it was just to get them used to handling a pencil. So I ask her which table I should put Chumani at. She said, "No, he is just going to watch...he isn't like the other children, he can't even hold a pencil." To that I replied, "We don't know if he can hold a pencil or not....and he needs to be included with this group." So I grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil, and pulled him up to a table. Guess what....Chumani knows how to hold a pencil. :) I tried to explain to the teacher that he was very much like the rest of the kids except that his legs don't work.

Lunch time has rolled around and I am with my group and I'm serving lunch and helping those children that need help. I see the younger kids are inside eating lunch....and what do I see? The teacher fetching Morgan 15 minutes after the rest of his class had gone inside and started eating their lunch. Morgan (my other CP boy) who doesn't walk, but can scootch around on his bottom...had scootched over to the side of the building on the playground. They had called the children to come inside, and they did...well...all but Morgan who can't work and is somewhat mentally challenged...and they forgot about him. I was so upset. I go check on him, in his room and he is eating his lunch. The last to finish of course, since all the other children got a head start.

Lunch time was over and I finished gathering up all the dishes and taking them to the kitchen. I put Chumani down for a little nap. He likes to lay down with the other kids before our driver gets there. So he gets about 20 minutes of rest. Morgan can't be put in the room with them, as he scootches all around and unties shoes and is just basically disruptive...so I usually take him out on the playground and we play and swing. So I get Chumani down and I ask one of the teachers if anyone had checked and/or changed Morgan's nappie (diaper). She just very matter of factly said "No." So I went to check him and again he had peed thru his nappie and had been sitting in wet britches. I was so upset! I picked him up and grabbed his back pack and said, "You're right, no one checked him. He has wet thru again!" I got him changed and we went and played outside until our transport arrived.

It absolutely breaks my heart that these two boys are neglected. They have made it painfully obvious that they don't want them there. As soon as I climbed in the van to leave, the tears I had been fighting back all day, started flowing. These precious little boys are such a joy to be around and they deserve a fair chance.

I was discussing this with the my director here and am trying to figure out what the real issue is. Is it just a matter of the boys being more work because they have to be carried and need a nappie change every once in a while? I mean heck...they are only there 4 hours a day. Or is it that an agreement was made between the organization that runs the school and the organization that runs the boys' orphanage and they were just thrust upon the teachers with no real warning, guidance or training? It's almost as if the teachers are being passive agressive. The resentment is blatantly obvious.

Morgan wet thru the last time I was in the classroom working and wasn't in his room to check. The manager saw that he had wet and was very upset that no one had checked him. She let the teachers know it was unacceptable and they needed to take care of him. I could see the looks and resistance on their faces when she said it. Of course, the manager isn't always there....like today....so no one took care of it. Or is it that they are just afraid of them? Afraid to pick them up? Hold them? I just can't figure it out. Either way...something has to change. So I will ensure there is something in place or something changes before I leave. Otherwise...what will happen to these boys if there are no CCS Volunteers at their creche? Who will watch after them and give them what they need?

This is Chumani's only opportunity to go to school. I don't want them to make him feel like he's not wanted....then he won't want to go back. Right now, he greets me every morning when I pick him up from his home, with his back pack, a great big smile, his arms reached out, and says, "Time to go to school," in his precious Xhosa accent.

These two sweet boys are precious and deserve better than what they are getting when they go to school and I have made it my mission to ensure things change for them. No time to waste....I already am down to only 2 1/2 weeks left! My time here is flying by and there is still so much to be done.