GOOD FENCES Malawi Open Arms Orphange (Part 3)

These are some fences I photographed when I visited the orphanage in Malawi, some of which are not your usual type of fence, however they are designed to keep children fenced in and safe.

I am linking to GOOD FENCES.

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Malawi - Open Arms Orphange (Part 2)

To understand this Part 2 of the story about the sewing machine, read MONDAY’s post first.  These children were being helped walk down by their teacher to a little classroom where they taught them and played with them. The children only can stay at Open Arms Orphanage up to 2 years and so during that time they try to find a guardian or family member who is willing to bring the child up and very often as is the case of the 2 week old baby I showed you on Monday, they do not have to finance to do so, nor sometimes know how to cope.

A week or so before the children are released, Open Arms brings the guardian into the orphanage to live in this little house.  This is a typical Malawian house with a dust floor, and no furniture except that box and of course a mosquito net.

This urn is to keep water cool.  

They learn about nutrition and how to best care for the child.

This mat standing up is the bed which every night they put on the floor.

So I asked the orphanage what was the greatest need at present.  They told me that the 2 week old baby that had been brought in that day would need Terry nappies and they were expensive so I agreed that the 50,000 Malawian Kwacha would go to buy them.  They were delighted and below you see me handing over the money to the Matron (in white) and holding one of the adorable children called Victoria in my arms.  It was an honour and privilege to be able to help in this small way.

I will end again showing you the 2 week old baby that had been found in a hollow of a tree and left to die but now is assured of a chance of a better future life ahead.

So that ends my story tht started with a sewing machine and ended with nappies.  Tomorrow I have some more images taken arond the orphpange so you might wish to see those as well.

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WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY - Malawi

I only saw one bird and that was this male House Sparrow 

when i visited the Open Arms Orphanage in Malawi. 
(See MONDAY's post for part 1 of the story and tomorrow for the end of it)

I am linking to WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY

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THROUGH MY LENS - Malawi Open Arms Orphanage (Part 1)

This is a story which I will start today and finish on Wednesday about my sewing machine .  I had a very good machine which I sold and knew the money had to go to something in Malawi so Judith took me to Open Arms Orphanage where a friend of hers worked.  This orphanage keeps children up to the age of 2 years old and is very well run I discovered. Below was of a 2 week old year old baby that was found in the hollow of a tree and a social worker brought her to this orphanage.  

I am not going into all the details of this case with you but will show you around Open Arms.  Everything was spotless, the staff were brilliant and I was made must welcome and shown round by Matron and the lady who was taking over from Judith's friend.  Below are some of the cots for smaller babies.  

The older children were adorable and very inquisitive and

 loved having their photographs taken.

There was a very relaxed atmosphere and

 the children all looked very well cared for and happy.

Some were being fed while others were being cuddled.

Some were sleeping peacefully.

Some were having a bath.

Matron showed me the mosquito nets which covered the larger cots at night.

Some were needed to be changed.

These ladies prepared all the good wholesome food that Malawian people eat.

These ladies were responsible for all the washing, drying and ironing of the clothes.  There were 26 children in Open Arms at present.

Some of the older children are being walked down to a classroom where they teach them about shapes and colours etc I will stop there and continue my story on Wednesday and let you know how the orphanage spent the money.

I am linking to THROUGH MY LENS  

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SUNDAY THOUGHT - Malawi

‘In peace I will lie down and sleep, 

for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety’

Psalm 4:8 

 

This is my bed in Judith's home in Malawi and perhaps you can see Henry on it as he travels everywhere with me.

This is my bed when we visited Lake Malawi and you can see I needed a mosquito net on both bed and still they managed to bite me!

October 2017

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Have a Blessed Sunday,

SATURDAY CRITTERS - Mount Stewart Birds (Part 5)

Recently I visited the National Trust property of Mount Stewart near Newtownards and walked round the lake.  

Last Monday I showed you the last of the autumn colours of the trees and on 

Tuesday you saw the beautiful resident Mute Swans with their cygnets, 

Wednesday I spied the interesting Fungi at the base of an old tree, 

so today I am showing you the other birds I found on the lake that day.

I am linking to SATURDAY CRITTERS.

On the lake apart from the Mute Swans and their two cygnet, there were Black headed gulls, Little Grebes, and Tufted ducks (M and F) in this post. 

However there were also Gadwall and Mallard ducks.

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FRIDAY'S HUNT and WEEKEND REFLECTIONS - Malawi and Costa Rica

I am linking with Friday’s Hunt and Weekend Reflections and this week the letter is U, Mosaic/collage and “I ate this”. U for UNIQUE.  Surely no one has had a Christmas on the 9 October in Malawi before?   Anyone?

  Well I decided before I left N. Ireland to take Christmas presents over for the family as I will not be seeing them at this festive time.  I had hoped that Jon, my SIL would be with us when we went to Lake Malawi and we could have had a BBQ however Jon had to go to Zambia.  I did not want to have one without him so I said to Judith when could we have it but with lots of commitments in the family the only day was the next day after this conversation.  I said I would make a desert that I know everyone would like and as Judith had a late meeting after a busy day, I also said I would make a meal with what we had available in the house.  It ended up, that it was all UNIQUE as nothing turned out to the way I had planned however it was all delicious.

I had brought 4 new Christmas decorations for them so Judith had this Baobab tree and we put them on that which decorated the table. 

This also must have been UNIQUE.   

I made Savoury Beef bake however forgot to add the special ingredients of orange juice and orange peel to it.  Then I made a dessert that I have made for years.  Raspberry Moose. Well of course we had no raspberries but the vegetable man brought strawberries that morning but then we did not have a strawberry jelly so had to use an orange one!  Beating up the jelly did not really work too well with the equipment I had and we could not get any cream anyway so had to use the squirty stuff in the tin (not keen on that myself) having said all that, it was delicious.  The family enjoyed the UNIQUENESS of everything and the Christmas presents were received with great excitement.

Above is an image of the dessert.  “I ATE THIS” dessert which turned out to UNIQUE!

These MOSAIC tiles are assembled together to make this lovely art form which has been framed and hung in a building in the grounds of the first hotel I stayed at in Costa Rica in 2016.  Below is a REFLECTION image of another part of the beautiful gardens at this same hotel.  

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GOOD FENCES - Mount Stewart (Part 4)

After leaving reception of the National Trust property of Mount Stewart near Newtownards, I had a look into the area where the public can 

purchase plants which have been grown on site. 

I spied this interesting hollowed out tree up against some fences.

I am linking to GOOD FENCES.

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Mount Stewart Gardens - (Part 3 )

Recently I visited the National Trust property of Mount Stewart near Newtownards and walked round the lake 

and spied this Fungi at the base of an old tree.

Many thanks for visiting and also for leaving comments.