Need for All at Watoto

May 23, 2009

Closure for the Need for All children was something that all of us needed and today we got it. We woke up early to get to the Need for All home to meet with the mothers and gather the rest of the clothes that Allen wanted to bring for them. On Friday night we got some very good news. The social worker at Watoto had seen how incredibly depressed and sad all of the Woolies had been, so she called to offer Allen the job of house mother for the kids. Since 8 children sleep in a home with one mother, it was perfect. Joshua is still with his father in Entebbe and we aren’t sure if he will stay there or not, but being with his father is probably the best thing for him. With Allen being the new mother at Watoto, it’s basically just like we picked up the orphanage and transplanted it into a better house with no corrupt Ruth, plenty of food, great education, and the promise of a better future.

At the house, we got a sad surprise. The two older boys had stayed over night to keep Ruth from taking anything else from the house and to watch over the building. The mothers were too sad to sleep in the house without the kids there. Allen had packed a suitcase full of the good clothes, including the jerseys that our mom had bought especially for each of the older boys. When we arrived, the suitcase was gone and the clothes were all in piles around the house. Allen and Noelena started yelling and throwing stuff all over the house. We didn’t know what they were saying until Angella explained in English. The clothes had been all packed and now the suitcase was gone along with a bunch of the clothes. Allen yelled at Sully and then he walked out of the house and came back with the suitcase. It was empty except for a pair of Neolena’s shoes, a pair of Henry’s shoes, and some dishes…..all things that Sully and Henry had taken. What was even more disturbing is that all of the bigger sized clothes (including Trevor, Arthur and Kenneth’s jerseys) were gone. Sully said he didn’t know what happened but that he was there all night. Henry had left and didn’t come back until we were loading up the van. All of us were furious. Not only do we include these boys in everything, we bought shirts especially for them this trip and Angella worked to find them sponsors for school. She also was planning on doing some major things to help them out, but is now ready to back off and not do anything extra for them. They STOLE and LIED not just to us, but to our little Woolies who already have practically nothing. It’s just really sad that the day had to start this way. We all got in the car and Henry re-appeared ready to get in and Sully tried to get in the Mtatu. We told them absolutely not. There is no way we would take them out to Watoto after what they did. We drove away with them looking like puppies who had been left at home while the family went on vacation. It felt awful to do it because we had seen how much they took care of the kids over the past trips, but to know that they could take advantage of the house that way was just too much to handle.

The drive to Watoto was interesting, not because of the scenery but because of the phone calls and text messages from Ruth. She had no ideas that Allen, Ross, and Angella were in the same car. She first sent Ross a text saying, “Thanks for the money, Swine flu, and lies” and called him the devil. He didn’t bother to text her back and then she called him over and over until he answered the phone. She yelled at him and said asked if he was going to call the police and told him he should just take her to court. She wanted to meet with him to prove that she wasn’t lying. She said she had 30 children at her home and that she was trying to sell her land to pay for the rent. When she finally hung up, Allen told us that a woman named Roxanne had given 900,000 shillings to Ruth yesterday, even though the kids were already gone! Shortly after Ross hung up, Allen’s phone rang and it was Ruth. She asked if she knew Ross’ cell phone number and Allen played it off as though she didn’t know him and that she had gotten a phone call from him too. Ruth then told Allen to lie and say that the children are all at her house and they will be back at Need for All soon if anybody else asked. After Ruth was through with Allen, she called Angella and politely asked if she had gotten her fridge and furniture. When Angella said she had, Ruth was satisfied and hung up. She kept trying to call Ross but he ignored her. Then she just sent him text messages until he turned off his phone.

The Watoto campus is very far off the main roads and they have a beautiful piece of land overlooked a valley and the hills of Kampala. Each building is brick with big windows and green roofs. We had to check in with a security guard (which is pretty normal everywhere you go) Then we went to an office to get a social worker who could take us to the new home. We walked by a soccer field and a little round building that had a stage. Outside some of the older kids were playing guitar and singing worship music. It just feels like a happy and safe environment. As we got close, a heard a little voice yell “Mamie” and then saw a little figure get closer and closer. It was little Peter leading the pack towards Allen and Noelena ahead of us. The entire pack of kids was following close behind. I couldn’t really hold back my tears, and neither could the rest of us. It was such a joyful meeting. All of the kids were happy and excited to see all of us, except for Kenny. He came and hugged all of us but wouldn’t stop crying. He clung to Ross for a really long time and it was enough to even make Ross said. I think that Kenny is the only one of the kids who really understood that this move was permanent. Even though Allen coming in as a mother is not finalized, we told him what was going to happen because it was the only way to comfort him.

We spent a little over an hour and a half having the kids show us their new home. As usual, Ruth’s focus was food. She told Angella everything they ate since they arrived in a play by play commentary with little inserts by Peter when she forgot. The older boys had already made friends with the neighbor boys and were eager to play keep away with us in the yard. Irene came and took my hand to show me the inside of the house and to help her look for her shoes. I had gotten both of the Cabbage Patch dolls that were left at the Need for All house to bring to the girls. They were very sad that the dolls weren’t with them and they asked Allen where they were. They were ecstatic to have them and didn’t put them down the whole time we were there. We took some pictures and videos to show their new home, which is much improved from the Need for All home. A truck comes every day to deliver fresh fruits and vegetables as well as all kinds of other foods for the kids. Allen is so happy that she will never have to worry that the kids aren’t being fed and that they are safe from Ruth’s corruption. It was sad to leave them again, but after getting big hugs from each of the kids, I felt comforted that they were in this place. I know that in 10 years, these kids will be finishing school and moving on to bigger and better things. All of them will have opportunities that would have never been possible and they will be together, which is what matters most.