Detour to Kilema - part one

Plans changed and I've ended up at Orphans of Kilimajaro, a place I've actually had on my radar for many months and was then reminded of when I ran into Babu Bob at the ATM in Moshi.. I recognized him from his website and there was something about him that I couldn't quite shake. Weeks went by and I still kept thinking about the twinkle in that man's eyes and his thick old-school Texan accent. When these few weeks opened up I decided to send him an email to see if I could come to his "Garden of Eden" in the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro, so here I am. The village of Kilema is very rural, very poor, and very beautiful. It's located a little over an hour from Moshi and about 10 miles up the mountain from Marangu. There aren't any stores or restaurants, just bars that serve warm beer and homemade brew (which I won't touch, don't worry). Banana trees line all the dirt roads, as do many young children carrying machetes and unemployed men on their way to or from the bar. Everyone is super friendly and eager to speak the few English words they may know ("Good afternoon, Missus"). And although most people seem somewhat content, there is actually a lot of despair here...everyone seems to have a story that breaks my heart.

Babu Bob is here to help the people of these villages, which have a ridiculously high HIV rate and an even higher unemployment rate. Many children are orphaned because their parents have died of AIDS and the families in the area are trying to survive on just about nothing. Babu Bob is here to help give them hope and opportunities by providing them with food, educational assistance and medical care.

I've only been here less than a week, but have already met some incredible children in this tiny, middle-of-nowhere village:

• Benny is about twelve years old and is incredibly shy, probably due to the cantelope-sized growth on the side of his head. He wouldn't speak to me at first, but then warmed up after I let him write in my notebook. He doesn't attend school because children tease him, so no one has ever noticed his dyslexia until I looked at the words he copied down from a poster. Everything was written perfectly, but backward. We played hopscotch together and drew with the colored chalk my mom sent (thanks!).  Babu Bob has coordinated medical care for him and Benny is scheduled for surgery early next month.
• I visited 17 year old Frank in the hospital, his home for the last six years. He's a paraplegic due to a digging accident he had when he was just eleven years old while trying to make money for his family. His parents have passed away and his siblings live out of town, so Babu coordinates all of Frank's medical care and visits him on a regular basis. His bed sores are overwhelming and the hospital, although very clean, doesn't provide much attention. He has nothing except a little cassette player/radio which he uses all day long to play gospel music. I want to find things for him to pass the time, but what he really needs is a tutor who speaks Swahili and someone to do physical therapy with him. If only. (UPDATE: Frank passed away on August 16, 2011. Part of me feels relieved to know he's no longer suffering. His bedsores had gotten to an unimaginable point and his colostomy complications became much more severe. But I can't shake my sadness about his suffering. Here is Babu's emotional description of Frank's death, but only view it if you want handle reality at its worst. http://www.orphansofkilimanjaro.org/)
• And then there's Obedio, a 14 year old boy whose been staying with us the last few nights because he sprained his ankle and couldn't walk home (there aren't cars around here). He lives with his grandmother because both of his parents have died of AIDS. Obedio was born HIV+ and Babu Bob helps him get his anti-viral medication and also provides him and his grandmother with food.

But I'm not in Kilema because of these children....I'm here because of Babu Bob. He's given up everything to help some of the world's neediest people. He's led a fascinating life, which includes three adopted children of his own, a successful career in engineering, and a post-retirement Peace Corps position. For the last 17 years Babu has dedicated himself to the people of Tanzania, but has faced many obstacles that would send most people back home in a heartbeat. Aside from the difficulties he's encountered with the corrupt Tanzanian government, he's also had some terrible health issues over the last few years, including (but not limited to!) congestive heart failure, a colostomy, and a few minor strokes. It's amazing he's still here, trying with all his energy to make a difference in this tiny village of Kilema.

I came here with the purpose of teaching, but immediately realized my time and energy would be better spent helping Babu get organized. We're creating a working budget, getting his nonprofit status finalized in the U.S. and strategically reorganizing Orphans of Kilmanjaro so that it reflects his real vision and mission. Then I'll work on funding once I leave Africa (that week-long grant writing workshop is finally going to pay off!). I showed up just as he was slipping into a hole of hopelessness, so my goal is to provide him with the direction he needs to then give help to the people in Kilema. Stay tuned!