David Ahadi

I finally had the chance to visit the orphanage I spent a lot of time at my last trip, Hope Baby Centre. I had been missing the little ones so much while back in Canada. Most of the older kids remembered me and I spent the day playing and reading to them and also feeding them lunch. I was happy to see that they had taken in three new babies – Ruth, Eddie, and, David. Ruth Penda (Swahili meaning: love) is the happiest baby ever. She’s all smiles and full of energy. Eddie is a bit more laid back and calm, a chubby baby with a head full of hair. Both these babies were abandoned at Hope in the months following my departure. David only arrived yesterday after being discharged from the hospital and allowed to come to Hope. He was discovered abandoned last week by a group of local men in the evening near the orphanage in Kasarani. They took him to the police station and the officers brought him to Jane, the woman who runs Hope, who then took him to the hospital. When he was abandoned on the street he was only hours old, still having his umbilical cord and the clip attached to it. The mother must have been in the hospital then and only left suddenly to abandon her child since she could not abandon him willingly without punishment. He only now weighs just over four pounds. The meaning of his Swahili name- Ahadi, is promise. Jane says she chose this name to represent her promise to David that he will grow big and strong in her family - a promise I know that she will fulfill.

David wrapped in a blanket and hat my mom knit and sent along with me. My Oma also knit a couple baby blankets which will come in handy with all the little ones.

Ruth and I