The Rob Foundation

Tamar blogs : The best of two worlds.

The past couple of years I have lived constantly in two worlds. Although I have tried with my stories to included everybody in both worlds, it is difficult to put into words the smell and atmospheres. This time I got the opportunity to bring together “my” two worlds by sharing my adventure with my mother and grandmother.

The reunion with the children was as always nice, but the fact that I could introduce them to my mam and grandma made this time even more special. Anjuli was a difficult name, so quickly the children had decided that they would call her mama, just like I did. Gradeke was even harder, so grandmother remained oma as well. My mother and grandmother became common property. Every year I try to teach the children to share, so this year I gave the right example.

Both the children and the aunties thought that it was very special that the three generations Goossens women were among them, the children and aunties didn’t stop giving compliments. They looked young, beautiful and fit. They were especially impressed with oma, she was so active in the orphanage, and I had her walk great distances, which for them was impossible for a person of her age. And I, received my usual “compliments”, I had become fat in the Netherlands.

 

To use our time to the utmost we rapidly came up with a full program. Naturally they had to get acquainted with life in the orphanage, but I really wanted to show the real Ugandan life, beautiful nature, the, for us, strange way of life in the city and small villages and in the meantime I wanted to introduce them to a lot of people. The first day we started in the orphanage. Their first culture shock, surrounded by so many children that all wanted to say something to you and preferably all at the same time. Moreover at least 5 children wanted to sit on their laps, difficult to choose. But is no time they had found their comfort zone and oma went and sat, by herself, in the playground to play with the children and even my mother had secretly lost her heart to our children. Especially the evenings quickly became the favorite time of the day, when most of the children lay in their beds and the babies received their evening bottle, there was a quiet time to cuddle.

The days that followed were a bit like the holidays we used to have. A day culture/ nature and a camping day (read orphanage day). Days for resting we did not have, our time was too valuable.

Mom at the playground surrounded by children.

As a matter of fact this message is meant to be a small sign of life and also because I really want to share with you these picture of the three of us in Uganda. It’s better to hear the stories live from mom and grandma. Bringing together my “two worlds” was a great for me and the children, a pity that they have already left.

So, who’s next?

The three of use in front of the Murchisson Falls

How cool, we could almost touch them in their natural habitat.

                   Since today I have sparse access to the internet, so I hope soon to be able to take you with me in a complete new world, the daily life in Mulago Hospital.

Since today I have sparse access to the internet, so I hope soon to be able to take you with me in a complete new world, the daily life in Mulago Hospital.