New Shoes and Boots

~NEW runners















~New boots...now all we need is rain!











~Hawa posing with her new rubber boots!










~The chilren get so excited about a new pair of shoes so today was their lucky day~they got new school shoes, new runners and new rubber boots~JACKPOT!















~Mama Linda and Antonia shopping for new school shoe

~Lots of boots to choose from~rainy season is coming soon and the children will have to walk when the bus gets stuck!

Hasani with his new 'rubbers' ~

Construction of a Rainbow Tire Playground

The colorful rainbow 'Tire Playground' took alot longer and was alot more work than we thought. But with the help of a few neighbors and the children us 4 girls got the job done. First, 100 tires had to be found and brought in. Our neighbor, Julius, got them there, 7 or 8 at a time, with a wheel barrel. Then they all had to be washed because most of them were covered in cow and goat poop! This was a job the children wanted to help us with and we were more than happy to let them. They still had no idea what we were building with them but they were excited. Then some tools were bought, some neighbors were hired. Bolting the tires together took forever so that we could build the pyramid tires but a few days later it was ready for painting. The six rainbow colors were bought and the painting of the tires started. Then 5 truck loads of sand were brought in and the shoveling started. A wall had to built around the playground so that the sand would not go anywhere during rainy season. The colorful paint was applied in one day while the children were in school. When they got home~what a surprise for them! Back packs went flying and the children ran to the playgroung. The screams, the giggles and the smiles made us smile inside and out! WOW~what a feeling! All because we turned some dirty old tires into a colorful rainbow playground for them~something they have never seen or experienced ever. So, thank you to everyone who donated & helped put these huge smiles on these children's faces. Their hearts are still smiling!! :)

The Karim Children

IBRA~only 2 years old and is Dada's son. Dada and her son Ibra live at Karim with Rehema and the children. She is our hired help.

HASANI~only 4 years old and in school already~'baby class' not kindergarden!

SAUMU~a sister to Salma. She is 11 years old and one the hardest workers ever. Now that her sister has gone to boarding school, she will have alot more chores to do.

BABU~the oldest boy at Karim, 7 years old. Has grown up so much since I first met him.

MWANA~7 years old and toothless! One of the smartest children in school. Always has the top marks in her class.

SABRINA~7 years old and Rehema's daughter! Always smiling, always happy!





HAWA~sweet lil Hawa LOVES to sing and dance. Everyone falls in love with Hawa's infectous smile and giggles!

ANTONIA~ 7 years old. Always a charactor~always making funny faces and crossing her eyes in every picture!

MAGGIE~7 years old and wants to be a Doctor. She has THE most beautiful eyes I have ever seen!











Lucy~12 years old now, an extremely hard worker who helps take care of the younger children and does most of the chores around the house. She wants to be a pilot.

SALMA~14 year old girl who now goes to secondary school which is also an all-girl boarding school! She wants to be a Doctor.

Rainbows at Karim

I always knew the Karim Children Care Centre was my 'Pot of Gold' at the end of a Rainbow! The children here, are just as colorful and beautiful, just like a rainbow! 




~This is the front gate of Karim Children Care Centre!

Graffiti Wall

The start of a 'Graffiti Wall' ~ a hot day, a lot of paint & a lot of fun!

~a whole lot of names, raised a whole lot of money for these children!

~rainbows and sunshine~

~Six walls of names~

A huge THANK YOU to all who donated to the 'Grafitti Wall'! Almost $8000 was raised so far!  Still room for more names ~ only $25 gets your name on the walls of Karim Orphanage!

Scorpions!!!

We have had 4 scorpions show up at Karim in the past few days~one outside, the other 3 inside the house! We were all on the floor helping Salma pack for school when Maggie screamed~a scopion bit her wrist; the other under a box of tile in our bedroom, when we picked it up to move it; and the other in our room, in MY CLOTHES~I decided to shake my clothes that were sitting on the floor and a scorpion fell out!





Here, Rehema, is applying ice to Maggie's wrist, where she got bit by the scorpion, while we wait for a ride to the hospital~so scary!