This morning we drove to a boma three hours away from campus. In addition to chiropractic care, student volunteers from Rocky Vista College offered medical assistance. The area we were working in is experiencing severe drought right now so they are especially in need of healthcare, among many other things.
When we took out Timmy the skeleton, the kids were in stitches. My dad uses it to explain the importance of chiropractic care to children and their parents. Many of the observers initially thought it was a real skeleton and were freaked out by it. Once my dad explained that it was only a model, it became more comical.
While the medical and chiropractic care was going on, I had the opportunity to read to some books to the children. Many of them didn’t understand what I was saying, but they were fascinated by the pictures in the book. Eventually, it turned into a game where I would point to a picture, say the word, and have them repeat it. They seemed to really enjoy that! Notice how in one of the pictures below a girl has her hands weaving through my hair...not at all surprised by that.
I brought balloons with me to give out to the children. When they spotted the first balloon bring pulled out of my bag, they stampeded towards me. Not even joking. Desperately, tiny little fingers grabbed at the bag and eventually they ripped it from my hands. The pictures above just barely capture the mass chaos that broke out. The reason for the grabbing and shoving is due to the extreme scarcity. The kids fear that this might be the last time they will ever see a balloon, so they fiercely compete with one another. Truthfully, it could have been the last time they saw a balloon for years. Small things like this that we take for granted in the U.S. are luxuries out here. I eventually decided that the most fair and least chaotic way to distribute balloons was to leave them behind a bush for the kids to discover at a later point.
Another example of "toys" for children who live in the bush--Using sticks to play the drums. This little boy was scared when I approached him because he had never seen a white person before. Although I tried to engage him, he sat silently, not moving, until his mama came over and picked him up and told him it was okay.