Espace d’Enfants

May 14, 2008 (oh, the joys of connecting on the internet)

On Monday afternoon I met a kind woman named Ernestine. She is one of the two teachers at the HEAL Africa site for a program we have for street children called Espace d’Enfants (Space for Children). We have 8 locations for street children, vulnerable and traumatized children to come and receive basic schooling, some food and the opportunity to express themselves through art and receive healing and counseling. Altogether, about 300 children are active participants. Space for Children had received funding for one year during its inception last year, and despite its remarkable success, the funding was in limbo for months; however, we just learned funding was renewed for another 12 months.
I asked Mama Ernestine if I could come and see the work she was doing, as it seemed so significant and utterly challenging. She lit up, yet looked dubious that I would actually show up on Wednesday morning. When I did, I was surprised to see that I knew and had often played with about half of the kids that were there that morning. I was surprised because I had thought all along that many of them were children of the women at the hospital since they are here all the time. Many of them are as young as three or four years of age! As I arrived, a little two year old boy with curious curls had wet himself all over and left a huge puddle in the middle of the floor. None of the children seemed much upset about it, as weeks of dirt caked their bodies, their tattered clothes beyond hope even with good washing. A few minutes later, they forgot that it was someone else’s urine on the ground and sat on it to have space to draw on the rickety benches.
Their vulnerability as street children who seek shelter at HEAL Africa sunk in even further as I heard them tell stories of the drawings they were creating as part of the morning activities. Spears, serpents, stones, houses, beds and other scattered images were imprinted with pastel crayons not only on the simple white paper, but also in my brain. Four year old Shadrak talking about seeing serpents and the eggs they lay everywhere. Mama Ernestine whispered to me that many kids end up on the streets because they are accused of sorcery by someone whose biggest proof is usually a dream they had. Shadrak also explained he drew a cross because of the story he heard that morning of what Jesus did for him. Another five or six year old boy explained to us why he drew a lance piercing his home, leaving its destructive mark all over the page. Again, the Mama explained to me that they often draw of what the war has done to them, what they’ve seen clearly depicted in the many spears, machetes, fire and other figures. However, even as deep sadness was setting in my heart, little Prince (the boy who had the burned stomach I wrote about one of my first weeks here) proudly displayed his picture. Although it also had serpents and eggs, he sprinkled it everywhere with stars and smiled as he pointed them out- another reminder of the hope and constant strength of the people I meet here.
As the children were playing to take a break, I learned that the program did not have enough money until the funds are received at end of May to purchase notebooks and pens to teach reading and writing. This was obvious in the heavily recycled pieces of crayon that were carefully collected at the end of the art session. I asked Mama Ernestine if the kids had families, expecting them all to be orphans. I learned that most of them have at least one parent, but they are all unemployed without much hope of their situation changing. The majority of the kids, as is common here, have been cared for solely by their mothers for many years. Women, older sisters, mothers and grandmothers are truly the ‘Mothers of the Nation.’
My brain reeling, I asked Mama what would happen if we were to work with the mothers to help them learn activities to generate income, connecting them with the teaching and support at HEALing Arts. She was quite excited and we brainstormed for a few minutes, in my mix of Swahili and French. After a while, she looked at me again with the same look she gave me when I asked to see her program on Monday, and challenged me, “This all sounds very good, but we need action, not words.” Agreeing wholeheartedly, I suggested we meet to discuss this further and then meet with a group of the mothers to listen to their perspectives, dreams and ideas for changing their futures.
Not long after, full of excitement and innumerable questions, I ran to Mama Muliri, another HEAL Africa mama, big mama, that emanates power and strength from years of battling for the rights of women. She has helped countless women in eastern Congo who are caretakers of people suffering from HIV, providing skills training in income generating activities as well as counseling. I explained the situation to her, and asked for her help in discussing this program with Mama Ernestine and the mothers of the street children, as I want to make sure any efforts we do are appropriate and on the path towards successfully helping them towards self-sufficiency. I also explained that funds for these grants or loans could possibly come from sponsors in North America who cared about getting at the root of poverty and changing that, and that we already have HEALing Arts’ programs to teach and help the women. Mama Muliri gave me one of her enveloping hugs and kisses and gladly agreed to meet with us and guide us through this exploration process.