Celebrate with me...

Hi Everyone,

where to start, today I took the new volunteers to see Yasmin (Trustee in charge of SCANN) to introduce them. It was a good meeting, I have ordered a new sewing machine to pick up tomorrow YIPPEE the nice lady in the shop said she would show me how to use it and I also have a tailor who said he would come to SCANN and volunteer a few hours to help out with sewing!!!! (Fingers crossed).

Another reason for the meeting was to discuss the ideas and selection of designs for the cards to be produced for SCANN was this afternoon and we had no suitable designs, I arranged for Richard to visit SCANN this morning and had a different random selection of boys sit with wax crayons, coloured pencils, watercolours and pencils, what a fabulous time we had with some great pictures that we can work with and the boys are desperate for another art session, I think I have found our artists!!!!! Richard helped with technique and encouragement, we were all so relieved with the outcome, the pictures were still wet when we arrived at Yasmin's but she liked them. I still have to get the boys to string beads as another suggestion, that should be fun!!

I designed a card, I know i can't draw but it was fab, I may not be an artist but I have some good ideas, I needed to be able to draw faces, as I couldn't and I saw that the boys couldn't I reverted to using my lesson material, a magazine called 'Drum' which had the great stories about the Rainmen and others. I used the pictures to produce a collage of faces, what I actually want to use is the pictures I have gathered of the boys, from the computer to make into a collage. Anyone who thinks they can help me when i get home, it is a project for my return to the UK to produce, my prototype looks fab even though I say so myself!! Yasmin loved it!

Not only have I seriously been offered a job here but a friend has offered to marry me if it would enable me to stay here!!!!! Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....... will take some thinking about. Tempting, but you all know my stance on marriage.

I have discussed using one of the computers for the library, which would appear to have mislaid over 900 books over the last approx 7 stocktakes by various volunteers!! They use random pieces of paper to mark down books exiting the library, it is mad, and they are surprised they are missing books.

We are going to organise another party while the boys are off school, (um that sounds funny as they are actually doing a full timetable at SCANN). Watch this space for news!

I am actually really worried that I am running out of time and seem to be getting busier. Luckily we have a new male volunteer arrived today who is here for two months so hopefully I can pass on the 'knowledge' and he can continue the work until he passes it on and I come back!!!!!!!!!

I have a meeting on Friday with a hospital doctor to see how my volunteering in UK can link with them here, should be interesting, hope its fruitful. I am also still trying to get Ruth, the bead lady to meet me to teach me bead work, the reason for this is I have bought a fab ring with the aids ribbon on it, in beads, I want her to teach me so I can make them, and other items, at home to sell to raise funds for my volunteer project at home.

So much to do and so little time. The second layer of paper mache in the baby art class went better than the first although the boys were so upset they thought they were getting the balloons, (by now these had shrivelled and died!!). Took a bit of explaining that what we were after was the hard paper thing on the outside! It will remain to be seen if they like what we are making!!!!!!! Not sure what that is yet...... sounds familiar....... wing it!

Ok I hope you are all well, just off now to see a man about a bracelet, a 'nice' man called 'Sammy' who thinks I am fab, but wouldn't be interested in me, if you get my drift. He wants to give me a bracelet to remind me of him and Kenya the place that 'really appreciates the work I am doing', not sure I told him what I was doing though!! I bought all the art materials from him.... so he was happy.

Then it isn't off home, I need to go back to SCANN to collect my bags, now I am a true 'bag lady' everyone takes the micky.......... I carry my classroom round with me, including sewing kit, medical kit and school books, including the exercise books for me to mark..... how crazy am I.

OK time to go, on a roll............... just as I am leaving things are falling into place.

Love you all. If there is a wedding I will give you all adequate notice......... kidding!!

Biggest hugs.

Susannah

xxxx