New Grandma in Africa

New grandma in Africa! I am a first-time grandma as of February 19, 2007, when precious little Paisley Grace Abdine was born to my son, Alan, and daughter-in-law, Melissa in Texas. It was difficult to concentrate on my work here last week when the birth of my granddaughter was taking place so far away. I found myself elated one moment and then heavy-hearted the next moment because of the distance separating us. When I began to seriously contemplate joining the Peace Corps, I knew that my kids wanted a child and that I would be half-way around the world should it happen while I was away. I could come to visit, we decided, after the birth, after the visitors went home and the family had settled into a bit more predictable routine. But all the fine plans made doesn’t make it any easier to be a new grandma in Africa when I can’t be a part of the experience now. I shared my joy with my African friends and showed them all of the newborn photos from Alan’s blog (alanabdine.blogspot.com). The response from one friend was, “if you could only just touch her”…boy, if I had any wish right now, it would be that I could just touch her once. Yes, I will be coming for a visit mid year where I will hold her and fall in love with her more and more, but my absence there now is very difficult for me.

This past Thursday evening as I was preparing for bed, I was startled to get an incoming call on my cell phone…it would have been an odd time to get a call from the states. On the other end was the Dutch Reform Church pastor that is a member of the orphan and vulnerable children drop-in center committee which I have been facilitating for the past 4 months. He apologized for his poor English as he was very excited to tell me that the business plan (proposal for funding) he submitted to TOTAL, one of South Africa’s largest oil company’s, had been accepted. We have been funded for Rand 300,000 (over $42,000) for our OVC drop-n center. It was fun the next morning at work to call all of the committee members and share the good news. The most excited was the child care worker volunteer from the community we are trying to help. She squealed with delight and didn’t stop for what seemed like minutes. She is the one who has spent months of unpaid hours listing and helping the 280+ OVCs in her neighborhood community. Besides sole supporter of her 7 children, she helps care for 12 other children who are orphaned from her relatives, all due to HIV/AIDS. Now the work begins to find the “way forward.” Do we construct a structure? Do we accept the offer of the local school to use vacant classrooms to start our feeding plan even though the buildings are so decrepit the sewage from the bathrooms overflows at times? Since I have no investment in any particular decision, I can use my position to facilitate in the decision making process.