Kamogelo Daycare Center

We took a long drive out to the Kamogelo Daycare Center today for HIV/AIDS-affected kids. 17% of these kids have HIV, and most others have one or both parents who are HIV+ or have died from AIDS. When we first entered we heard lots of singing and then shortly saw dancing of the kids with the teachers. I felt a sudden rush of empathy for what some of these children have been through, excitement for the smiles on their faces, and it basically changed my whole view of kids and pediatrics in one swoop or visit. it was amazing. just knowing what these kids have gone through, many of them taking ART (Anti-Retroviral Therapy) for their HIV at such young ages (starting at 6 months of age if they were born with it), or having lost parents to AIDS and the fact that these kids can still have smiles on their faces and laughing and dancing around. It gave me chills and tingles...

Most of the 6 and 7 year olds speak some english, and taught me their names. The one in the beanie in the pictures was one of my favorites, named Okaf. Another girl, not pictured, whose name was Amakgala, was also one of my favorites. They loved my shaved head, my tattoos on my feet (see pics below), and absolutely LOVED my digital camera to see themselves on it! they went crazy. we played with them mostly after lunchtime, which consisted of beans and semp (some type of veggie stuff) porridge, high in protein. I was ecstatic to have this experience, which had nothing to do with our clinical experience, because i will be mainly working with adults. We left after an hour of playing to go to the mall (weird transition) to get lunch, grocery-shop, browse, and.....

Pic #1: Kids playing around and singing with the teachers in traditional Setswana tongue....they were so happy!




Pic #5: We were all showing how old we were on our hands and fingers....most were 6 or 7, i was apparently 10.





Pic #6: They were obsessed with my tattoo. see he's pointing! the 6 and 7 year olds know some english. and in order to teach them, you say "Ere Tattoo" which means "Repeat, tattoo" so they learn new words.


Pic #7: they don't see boys often, so when a "strong" boy comes around, they flex and grab the boy's arm muscles, and hang off of him. you can kind of see it here, but behind the front row of boys, there's a couple boys grabbing onto my bicep as i flexed for them! it was cute!



Pic #8: Kgale hill behind me. it's famous, but apparently forbidden to tourists now due to high rates of mugging. i won't be venturing up there...

Video #1: kids dancing around when we arrived, it was amazing to see. check out the kid in the front, shakin his booty to the rhythm! awesome moves bud!