Monday, May 10, 2010

Thank goodness for volunteers

Today we got to meet up with someone who has really made a difference.  Nike is from Germany and she volunteered at Cradle of Love during the summer of 08, when I was still a little baby boy.  She and her other volunteer friends took care of me during that summer before my Mommy was able to come and find me.  How special and important she and her friends are.  They gave me love and laughter, cuddles and comfort when I needed it most and didn't have a mommy to do it for me.  So, for me and my friends at Cradle of Love, these volunteers had a huge impact on the beginning of our lives, teaching us how to love and trust other people.  What's more, when Mommy brought me home, these wonderful volunteers contacted Mommy with stories about me and photos of me which are so special and important for both my Mommy and me to have.  I can never repay them for all that they gave me that summer.  And, I'm so happy that I can still know many of them through the internet. 

It is especially special to get to meet these ladies.  Nike came back to Arusha last summer to volunteer for a human rights NGO and while she was there, she came to visit us.  Now, she is studying as an exchange student at Berkeley and so we got to meet her for lunch and playtime at the science center.  I really had fun seeing her.  I did NOT behave well for the camera though, and so the photos from today are not great.  It was just too much fun to stay still for the camera! 

In any case, thank you for taking good care of me when I was a little boy and for sharing your memories of me with my Mommy who can forever cherish them for me. 

1 comment:

Nike said...

Dear Aki,
thank YOU for such a wonderful afternoon, forgetting all papers and exams and just having fun and remembering the times in Tanzania. You were so tiny back then! But always in good moods and with smiles for everybody - I'm glad to see that you kept that up and have become such a smart little guy who knows what he wants and where he is from and that there simply is no way you can fool a Maasai!