Blog 007 - Piti

Day 18 – Thursday, March 20

Thursdays are Standards 1 and 2. These are the littlest of the bunch. They basically know nothing. They don't seem to know different animals. This is the group with a few of the kids that appear to possess some rather extreme personality issues. One little boy spends a lot of time laying on the floor sucking his thumb. One little girl is starting to attach herself to me. These kids are starving for attention, in a most serious away. They apparently have never gotten any from their parents, and they don't seem to get any one on one attention from their teachers at the school (which is probably for the best). You look into their faces and see physical scars; you look into their eyes and you can feel the pain they have most likely suffered in their few short years.

There is one little girl, Piti; she is so cute with big eyes. She kept sneaking a look at me from the very beginning, so shy. After about the first week, she starting coming over by me. When I am throwing the football around with the boys, she always comes over and I toss the ball to her. She just starts laughing and running around. When the boys take the ball away from her, she chases after them and makes her best effort to get it back. Now she always has the biggest smile for me. Obviously, she is my favorite.

When trying to teach something, I always make a point of calling on one of them that isn't paying attention, one who seems to be in another world, or one I can tell doesn't have a clue on how to pronounce a word with the group. I want everyone to participate. It's all repetition for now, with limited supplies and blank little minds to work with.

But, there is potential out here in Naroda. Now that Nora isn't working alone and we can start to break these kids down into manageable groups, we see a light ahead in the tunnel. Plans are to make a list of supplies we can use and go shopping this weekend. Maps, a globe, art project materials, books to create our own little library. This is what it takes. Nora doesn't have the funding or other resources. I can certainly dig into my pocket and make some purchases we really need to succeed out here. If I was at home I would have dropped $100 in a few hours at the casino. At least here, any money I put up will definitely make a payoff for now and in the long term.