Oh, I LOVE this little boy!

I have cared for a number of sick, abandoned, abused, neglected and malnourished children in my time in Tanzania - and I always have utmost faith that a lot of love and some good care and nourishment can revert almost all previous damage done to a young child.

But it takes time.  It takes time to build relationships and trust with children so traumatised and hurt.  It takes some days, weeks, or even months for them to let their guard down and let you in.  Even young babies who have been severely neglected are able to resist attention and avert eye contact for a few days - and the older the child, usually, the longer it takes.

Baraka Miracle is one of the saddest cases of neglect / abuse we have had at the Baby Home.  I knew it would take a long time for his physical wounds to heal, but I also believed it would take some time for his inner pain to heal.

But this little boy astounds me!  He is so happy and he laughs all day!  He LOVES being loved and is so brave when I have to change his dressings or put ointment on his wounds.  And this morning - he walked!  He just stood up and walked!

We are so thrilled to let you all know that Baraka Miracle is now at home with us at Forever Angels!

He was discharged from Bugando this morning and we are so pleased to have him in our care.

Thank you so much to Rob, Shannon, Katrina and Jill - all American Doctors who have been giving us advice and helping him while he has been in hospital - we are so greatful for your advice and support.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Selina (one of our Mamma's) who has been in hospital with him 24 hours a day, all week caring for him - catching 10 minutes sleep here and there when she can.  And thank you to Rachel (one of our volunteers) who has spent all her free time at Bugando helping to feed him, playing with him and giving him lots of love.


Already Baraka has been showered with love from my amazing Tiny Baby Mammas and he is playing with toys and smiling at everyone and eating well.

This child just melts your heart.  What he has been through in his little life just does not bear thinking about - but a week of love and good care and he is trusting again and smiling.  He is such a brave little thing - he must be in agony with all his wounds - yet he barely cries and is just content to be in loving company.

We are so happy to have this little man at Forever Angels and we know he will recover physically and mentally in our care.  Please keep him in your thoughts over the coming weeks.

Thank you SO much to Stella, a long term Volunteer who lives here in Tanzania and has helped out at the Baby Home for as long as I can remember.....the children had a wonderful birthday party last week!

Please click on the link below and spend 3 minutes watching our new Forever Angels Baby Home video, supported by The Research Partnership. 

For every hit, The Research Partnership will donate some money to Forever Angels!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmyvI1LM0ko&feature=youtu.be

Please spread the word to your friends and family....spend just 3 minutes finding out what we do - and generate money for us at the same time......thank you so much for your support.

And - a little glimpse of Musa with his new brothers and sisters at Mavuno Village....we miss him so much at the Baby Home - but just look at that smile!

Musa Miracle came to Forever Angels Baby Home on May 6^th 2009.   When he arrived he was in a very bad way - severely malnourished and covered in scars from the physical abuse and neglect he had suffered at the hands of his Mother.

On arrival he was diagnosed and treated for Malaria, Sickle Cell Anaemia and Severe Malnutrition.  His frail little body was covered in scars and he had bruising around his neck.  His hands and feet were swollen and he struggled to hold up his head and stay awake.

Meet 18 month old Baraka (yet another Baraka for the Baby Home – number 6 in fact!)

This little guy makes for a very sad story – and I am sure we do not even know the half of it yet.

This morning, our beautiful triplets, Hamisi, Hussein and Hassan went home to live with their Mum.  

The triplets have been at the Baby Home for 5 months and they are now healthy babies of normal weight and eating solid food.

Meet our latest addition to our ever growing family.....Boniface Phabian.

With so many children at the Baby Home now, we decided to appoint a few more staff to care for them.  On Saturday, Lilian, Josephine and I interviewed about 25 ladies for the job.

I LOVE interviewing in this country - you just never know what to expect.  I have been amazed numerous times during interviews for the Baby Home and seen and heard things including:

* prospective employees falling asleep while waiting to be interviewed (when they are in the garden surrounded by children)

* answering their phones DURING an actual interview and then continuing to have a long conversation!

* people who don't speak for the entire interview except for answering with 'yes' or 'no'

* prospective employees who didn't show up, but didn't tell us and instead sent their neighbour who pretended to be them!

* a number of people who told us that if a child cried too much they would beat it with a stick....or breast feed it!

* large numbers of people who do not smile throughout the entire interview

*......and my favourite - one lady who told me they don't actually like children at all but needed money so could I give them a job please!

Brilliant.

In spite of all this, we did find a few GREAT ladies and we employed four to join us at the Baby Home.  Meet:

On February 24^th 2012, after being at the Baby Home for just 3 weeks, we got a call from Social Welfare to say that Lilian's Mum had come to find her.

I had a wonderful last few minutes with her in my car - she cooed away quite happily in the front seat all the way to Social Welfare!