Donation Day pt2

The human body is capable of experiencing many different emotions. I think I may have felt each and every one of those emotions today. We embarked on the final step of a nine month project today and were able to see the end result. I wish I could peg the correct word to describe our experience but unfortunately I can’t seem to find it. As we arrived into Campo de Deslocados de Viana, I knew we had chosen the right place. 110 tents were set up for about 700-800 people that had lost their homes a year and a half ago due to flooding in Luanda. They were “displaced” in temporary tents quite a ways outside of Luanda city center.

They have lost their jobs (those that had them) because of their location and the inability to get to work. We got out and walked through the rows of tents and greeted the people there. I felt as if I was in a national geographic film. People peeked out of their tents to see what was going on as we smiled and wished them a Bom Dia! There was a very happy air about us and immediately an excitement flooded into camp. As we walked a trail of people began to follow after us—truly just like the movies. Brian and I were the only white people there and I’m not sure what some of the children were thinking. I later had several young women petting my hair and giggling. We walked through camp and ended up at the “school” (at least that is what they call it). The school has 1 teacher who is severely crippled, for 60 students—age 7-12 years. The school consists of tree branches that hold up corrugated tin as a roof as well as corrugated tin on the sides forming half walls.

It ended up being a great place to distribute our donations but was difficult for me to call it a school. After talking with the teacher I learned they do not have any books, papers, pens, etc., or even a chalkboard with supplies. I was so glad that we had brought the backpacks with the school supplies inside and couldn’t wait to give them out. It took us about an hour to unload and get organized and get the community leaders to organize their people. We tried a couple different ways to distribute things and the people were getting a little frustrated because they wanted their items immediately. I held firm that we wanted to distribute these to the people and especially the children individually. We did not want to just drop it off and have them do a free for all. I’m glad we stuck to our guns and insisted on some organization. For the next 2 ½ hours Brian talked with the “collector” from each tent to understand how many people were in each tent, what their ages were and whether they were male or female. He wrote these things on an “order” slip (torn piece of paper) and then handed it over to myself and two of our Angolan friends from church, Laura and Nazare. We were then able to get several outfits for babies and small children up to age 3 along with appropriate sized blankets for each of them. As I handed over each of these blankets many of which had been made specifically for this moment, tears were pushed back and emotions choked down. I wished so badly that those that had donated items, time, and energy to this project could stand in my shoes. All of the donations for this project are so badly needed. Each of the kids age 4-18, and all adults were able to have an outfit as well. After all clothing and blankets were distributed to each of the 110 tents, we were basically left with a few baby clothes, a couple large family blankets, the backpacks with supplies, and the toys. The children had been so patient all day—sitting with big eyes peeking under the corrugated tin—waiting for the moment when the toys would be given. I was anxious for this as well and Brian and I left the “safety” of the “school” and went out into the field to gather the kids and give them their toys. The first attempt began successfully as all the children were gathered and then seated in a group. Here they are reaching for toys:

It quickly turned though as so many of the mothers were pushing their kids toward us and knocking other people over. We decided a different route was needed and then fought our way back to the “school” to reevaluate. The next attempt was better as we had the kids line up along a wall—just the kids. We began to distribute the toys and there were so many big white smiles among these beautiful children. I didn’t have enough hands to capture this moment on film but it will be forever imprinted in my mind. Here is a picture just before handing out the toys, with the children lined up along the wall.

Unfortunately, just after we began, Brian looked back towards the school to see people diving over and crawling under the corrugated tin sides of the school. They were grabbing anything they could and then running. Brian quickly secured someone to stay with me and ran back to save what was left. The backpacks were so needed here in camp and they had extra meaning to us because our little Tiger Scouts (boys age 6-7) had made all the Ziploc bags (with pens, pencils, crayons, markers, glue, paper, scissors, etc.) to go inside the backpacks the day before, for a cub scout activity. They were so excited to be helping—it was so touching and we wanted to make sure they got to the right people (as with everything else). As I watched the little Tiger Cubs help I felt as if I got a glance of all those that helped back in America.
The excitement and joy of giving… Unfortunately, people were just so desperate for the backpacks. After Brian left me I had women flooding in around me and grabbing between my legs to get to the boxes of toys. As they began to swarm I saw a baby getting trampled and I left the toys to run for the baby. The baby was pretty upset but did not look harmed. I stood in the middle of the madness and tears streamed down my face. They were tears for this small, innocent child who deserved so much more. They were tears that anyone had to live this way. They were tears of joy that I could stand here and be a part of bettering their situation. They were tears of frustration that it had ended this way. Angry tears that these people didn’t seem to know what manners were. For a few moments they were scared tears that something might happen to one of us. I stayed with the baby until the mother came and then turned to see that everything was gone—including the boxes. I later learned that the man who was left to stay with me had grabbed one of the half full boxes and rushed it back to safety. Truthfully at that moment I was so emotionally and physically exhausted that I really didn’t care where the toys had gone. I just hoped that some of them would get to the kids that were so patiently waiting all day. Probably the thing that disturbed me the most was that the majority of the backpacks had been taken. The look on the face of the teacher was one of such great sadness when I told him. I promised him I would be back to bring him something to teach with and a wheelchair—but that after this I would only be back to help him and not the others. I asked for our friend to translate for me before we left. I couldn’t help myself. I stood up on the back of the truck we had brought in and proceeded to lecture this group of people on their behavior. I asked them what they were teaching their children….etc. I can’t say that it was all translated word for word. Nazare may have padded it a bit so that I didn’t get mobbed again by angry, desperate people. Nazare and Brian fielded some questions and explained some things and then we quickly got in our car and started the hour and a half drive home. This gave us plenty of time for our evaluation of the day. Just how most men have to relive the moments of the basketball or football game with those that they played with, I needed to talk about the successes and frustrations that we faced. After much discussion with Brian, our driver Angelo (who helped me set all this up), and our Angolan friends from church I realized that all things considered, this was a very successful day. 700-800 desperately needy people received clothing. Babies and young children will have blankets when the weather turns cooler in June. Many children (not all unfortunately) will have toys to play with for a time and stuffed animals to love when they are lonely.

There are school supplies in the camp and hopefully they will get to the children who need them most. There was excitement in camp all day and people were happy and joyful for the most part. I feel so blessed to have been a part of handing things out. I feel even more blessed to be a member of a family that volunteered and worked so hard on this project. Knowing of the dedication, sincere desire to help, and true Christianity that occurred during the duration of this project overwhelms me. It strengthens and lifts me and makes each day of living here just a bit easier. I am so proud of the generous American people that gave their own items from their own homes with no strings attached to help people they don’t even know. I’m grateful for the trust you placed in me that these items would get to the right place. May God lift and bless you all.
Thank you. Hallie.