I can hardly believe it. Most of our group of volunteers is leaving this weekend, and a new group is coming in (including my replacement at Juvi). Things are bittersweet.

Stephen and I are going on a ‘walking safari’ tomorrow. If I don’t get eaten before then, on Monday I’ll upload more photos and share what’s been happening.

And now…I’m off to dinner.

(Monday, July 20)

Juvi has gone from good to bad to better to worse and back to good again. It’s exhausting.

Today was good.

We have almost twenty kids now, some of whom should be in secondary school and some of whom can barely add numbers or write. One of the Finnish volunteers has decided to work with the struggling students, while the other is going to create more challenging work for the advanced students. I am left with everyone else. And really, this is a good thing. The kids are learning. They’re opening up.

Today when I told one student he did a good job (nzuri sana), he gave me a hug. He’s barely spoken to me before today. So while I am feeling like I have so little to give, I realize that these kids aren’t asking for much. They just want someone who will pay attention to them. I can do that.

And I am pleased to report: there’s been no further talk of Finland.

I went around the home base asking the other volunteers what they would have liked to know before they came. Here are a few of their suggestions:

- Bring your old VHS movies! Nothing is really open after dark here, and movies are an almost nightly tradition. New movies are *always* welcome…unless you want to watch The Lion King at least twice a week.

- You’ll probably want to bring enough underwear for the duration of your trip. Washing isn’t that big a deal, but ironing your undies to ensure that mango fly larvae don’t infest your skin is exactly as much fun as it sounds.

- Pack clothes that can be easily ironed.

- Definitely pack your cold meds. Traveling and placements with children mean that most volunteers get a nasty cold around week two.

- Learn Swahili, it’s going to be helpful. You’ll take lessons here, of course, but for almost every placement, knowing Swahili is going to make a HUGE difference for you. Especially numbers.

- Pack layers. It’s been very hot and very cold, sometimes in the same day. Any travel to Ngorongo Crater or Kilimanjaro is likely to be cold, so pack accordingly.

- Bring jeans. While skirts are required for most placements, you’re only there during the mornings five days a week. The rest of the time you’ll want to be comfortable, and most people just wear jeans and t-shirts.

- DEET bugspray may be effective, but it also makes your skin peel like crazy (and totally discolors toe and fingernail polish). It may be better to bring both a DEET and a non-DEET bugspray, and alternate them to give your skin some relief.

- Baby wipes are your best friend. The roads here are DUSTY and your feet will be completely filthy at the end of each day. They’re also good for safaris or other trips where showers are not readily available.

Oh, and…

You’re going to LOVE it here.