Leaving Hosanna

We passed thru many vllages on the way to Hosanna this morning.Trip took about 4 hours. Too funny to see all the goats and donkeys in the road-- nice smooth pavemennt all the way there although the road clearly sees more foot traffic than auto each day. Dareggi our driver always gave a beep of the horn when kids were driving the animals, but not adults!  The donkeys were often loaded with yellow gas cans for water , packs of false banana root o. It's waybto eb made into a thin bread.
Each of the villages we passed thru seemed to have their own unique ways or cultures. Hilly villages had little blue taxis. Flat villages had more people I. The road? Kids wave. Beautiful countryside with many varieties of domicile evident from the circle thatched roofed to stickbuilt with mud. Some villages had block buildings and tin roofs. Lots of cows everywhere. We passed a huge greenhouse complex that hewat tells us is a rose business. Private investors. Oh and the incredibly huge condo project in addis-- must have been 5,000 units under construction. Told each unit will sell for 90,000 birr. Government owned and will finance.  It's mountains and hills every direction -- breathtaking--- also saw some lakes.
And we saw a pelada!!!! 8 kids in a cow pasture at 7am what joy!

Hosanna was much bigger than any of the towns and villages we passed through. Nobody knows population here, but our group estimated 4 or 5,000 people.  At first glance I thought Hosanna looked much more impoverished than anything we had seen, but after discussion with Apoo and Carol I realized that it's tricky --- rural areas have no healthcare or other services and probably less food or ways to make money.

All dirt roads now leading back to the orphanage. High fence around it made of sticks and branches. Laundry hanging in the dirt courtyard. Small low house in much need of paint. Smell of burning-- cooking ? The kids . Where do i start? We took off our shoes when we went in. The kids --17 all in one room waiting for us. Mobbed! All climbing fingers in ears and smiles. Ages 3-8 mostly boys but a few adorable girls. My heart broke 1,000 times over. The room was total chaos, peices of toys strewn all over. Nannies tried to keep noses wiped but a futile task indeed.When we broke out the new toys the kids went crazy-- older boys went for the new soccer balls-- we were doing headers and kicking. Tue toys that had multiple parts went in 10 directions. The kids have to learn to negotiate their way-- it is funny to watch them regulate -- take a toy get a scream or not, or maybe give a toy to get a toy, or enlist a friend to get it back. The older ones were sweet to the younger. The nannies would periodically pull one for a new diaper or dry cloths though most were wet at some point or another. We are still damp. Some kids were having a hard time wandering inncircles crying, but mostly happy kids.

Agency has been very consistent about telling us to play with all kids, but how do you not notice your own, but how do you not want to take them all home. Big 8 year old boy wanted to be picked up and held just like the little ones. Allison has marker all over her arms, they drew on everything! A little 3 year old girl took out her hair band and played with her hair.

The nannies clearly knew who was going to go with whom. Israel had a little yellow school bus and if another kid took it the nanny would fuss until it was returned. Israel's lucky day:) he is much smaller than we thought. He is reserved but sees what is going on around him. At one point Apu got to play ball with Bereket and Israel. Israel was a good kicker! We got to hold him for awhile each. We saw him dace  sing to himself a little bit too. Ally says he is happy to sit with his feet out and play roll the bus back and forth. He didn't smile as much as some other kids, but he is happy.

In addition to the nannies and our social worker Hewat, there was a man there who was so good with the kids and they clearly all knew him. Turns out he is the nurse. I was holding Israel and he came over and said " this one was so malnourished when he came-- he had no hair because of, his skin had wounds all over because he had no nutrients." Then he smiled and cradled his face and said he is healthy now, so much healthy now. These children are clearly loved.
We keep crying, all of us, it's so hard to leave them.

After we got back on bus we rode around the corner more dirt roads and animals and thatched huts into a closed courtyard surrounded by 3 well built fresh painted buildings. The nurse came with us and we met some new social workers-- two men whose job we were told is to counsel the birth families. Tough job. This place is the nursery for the infants. There were 7-8 in all -- the most wide eyed cutest things you have ever seen!!  There were 3 qnurses feeding them Atmit-- porridge, Apu tells us that Atmit is whole grain, used in Ethiopia , much healthier than the corn/soy used in most countries.

We then sat down for a coffee ceremony in a nice room with Indian rug, couches with beautiful embroidered crosses. Big bowl of sugared popcorn around. Beans are roasted over open coals. Tray ofsteaming hot saucers sent around--- the coffee was perfect. Perfect. And so needed at that moment.

Then back on the bus to the school. The school has been built entirely by CHSFS and is clearly the pride of the town. A huge vegetable garden that the kids plant and harvest and are fed by. Potatoes and and avacado tree, tomatoes and beans.  K-5 and it's not just for the orphans -- evidently the government says if you have an orphanage you have to invest in a public school too. Kids from the town pay to go if they can get in. 250 students and the classes are all taught in English.