patrick

After lunch back at the Compassion office we drove to Patrick's house. Patrick's mother was not in as good a position as Samuel's family and was a single mother who rented one room which she divided into two spaces for living and sleeping. It was in this village that we saw real poverty as we were met by small children in bare feet with their clothes hanging off them. The children all stood in the mud which surrounded Patrick's tiny home. We were welcomed into the living and cooking area of Patrick's home, where we were once again thanked whole heartily for our involvement in Patrick's life. His mother brought out the letters we had written and cards we'd sent. Although we've sponsored Patrick for about five years and he held letters from that long ago, the letters looked hundreds of years old. Dirt stained, well handled and waterlogged, it was surreal to see our handwriting and to see the letters in the place they were intended, in Patrick's hands, in his tiny village, and tiny home in Kenya.

samuel

After tea and bread we visited Samuel's home. We didn't know it at the time but it was to be the most comfortable house we'd see. Samuel's father was lucky enough to own his own home on his father's land. His father, mother, and Samuel's aunts and uncles all lived on a small plot where they had a two roomed house made from corrugated iron, and a small garden in which to grow their own vegetables.

Compassion allow their sponsors to send a monetary gift in which is passed onto the parent of the child to spend appropriately. Samuel had happened to have his birthday just a few days before we arrived, so with the birthday money we sent he saved a portion to buy a large birthday cake to celebrate his birthday with us, the staff and the rest of his family. It was a very happy occasion, and although most of it was in Swahili and most in song, the staff were kind enough to translate the festivities for us. The cake was cut and divided into tiny pieces so that everyone was able to have some. We felt so guilty in taking any ourselves but of course to refuse would have offended them.

We sang 'Happy Birthday' to Samuel, which was followed by a song sung in Swahili, which served as a soundtrack for Samuel feeding each guest a piece of cake. There was much laughter and joking going on in the song although we had no idea what it was about except that it directed him who to serve next. They also directed us to serve each other a piece of cake.

For a 12 year old birthday party there was a noteable lack of soft drinks, sweets, crisps, presents and expensive entertainment. What we did see was a family united in celebrating their son over something as simple and indulgent as a birthday cake.