On the streets

There were kids standing staring at our van as we pulled in to the train area, latching onto our hands and our skirts as we tried to step out. They are kids who sleep on the train platform in Accra at night, kids who push and shove each other because that’s the only way they know to get what they need. They are dirty with uncleaned wounds because they don’t have the 50 pesewas needed to use the public showers or the soap and sponge they would need when they got there. They are kids who are searching for someone to love them, someone who will give them a hug and remember their name. They are living the life that the kids at Haven of Hope have been rescued from. Auntie Felicia goes out and learns the names of these children, she gets to know them, listens to their stories, and works to let them know she cares.
The other obrunis and I went and helped at the ministry she does on Sundays with these kids. We read to the kids, did some basic first aid, helped with a bible story and phonics lesson, and then helped serve a meal to as many of the kids as we had food for, which unfortunately wasn’t all of them. As we prepared to go we heard a little more about the children’s lives and the health and other problems the kids faced. I left and was heartbroken. I looked at these kids and was hesitant to touch some of them because of their lack of hygiene or clothes, when they need someone to love on them more than almost anyone I’ve ever met. My roommate shared with me that she goes and when she leaves she feels inspired because it shows her that one person really can make a difference when she sees what Auntie Felicia does for these kids, and it’s true though it’s tough to see where these kids are growing up, her getting to know them and loving them does make a difference. It pushes me to keep working and loving and praying for these kids more too, and helps me see more how the things we do matter.