November 29, 2008

Hello!

I hope Thanksgiving was as wonderful for you all as it was for me. We had a full holiday celebration last night. We cooked for 33 over a fire and in a wooden closet oven. There were 5 full chickens, 29 thighs, stuffing, mashed yam, green beans, gravy, apple pie, banana bread, the works. The children loved it, and I couldn't have asked for a better place to celebrate Thanksgiving.

I'm currently at the mall in Accra, so this email will be short, because being here is weirding me out (it's actually a serious mall!). I just wanted to write quickly because I've gotten several emails about sizes and shipping, etc. Sorry for the lack of detail in my last note, hopefully this will clarify a few things.

1. shipping address:
Morgan Hanson
c/o Regina Esime Djentuh
Ryvanz-Mia Orphange
P.O. Box KP 161
Kpando, Volta Region
Ghana, West Africa
2. shipping is, from what I hear, pretty costly and it takes about a month for larger packages to get here. If you are considering sending things, keep in mind that smaller packages are cheaper and quicker.
3. sizing: this question poses a problem, because all of their clothes are either handmade or entirely too large. Therefore, I think the easiest thing is to shop in age range. They are all generally size appropriate for their ages. Apologies, in advance, that this makes it a little more confusing.
Love (4)
Cecilia (5)
Mawuli (6)
George (6)
Atsu & Etse (7)
Christabel (7)
Mary (9)
Eric (9)
Israel (9)
Emmanuel (9) - he's a newcomer and very sweet
Comfort (11)
Komla (12)
Wisdom (14)
Kingsley (15)
Nicholas (16) - older brother of Emmanuel, he is such a good kid, and so sweet with the younger children
Note: there are 12 boys and 4 girls, so boys clothes are in higher demand. The girls LOVE fashion. We looked at a Vogue magazine the other night and pointed to every picture of a girl and said "this is me." Socks and underwear are always helpful. Also, any size of children's clothing is helpful - they are planning to expand the orphanage over the next year, and we've already gotten 4 additions since I've been there.
3. soccer gear - I measured their feet in inches. I don't have the list in front of me, but I'm pretty sure these are right. (Mom, reply to all with corrections if need be)
Kingsley - 10 in.
Nicholas - 10.5 in.
Israel - 8.5 in.
Eric - 8.5 in.
Emmanuel - 8.5 in.
Atsu & Etse - 7 in.
These are the ones who actually practice and play every day. The other boys aren't as into it, but would be excited for shin guards or that kind of thing. Kingsley, Eric, and Israel are the ones who I would definitely like to get cleats for.
4. games: creative problem solving is severly lacking here. Things like puzzles are really difficult for the kids, and and they glue the pieces together once they complete them (we're working on it, though). In other words, games like Monopoly or Life would be a little difficult at this point, but Trouble, Candyland or any like them, would be excellent. The kids make cars out of sardine cans, slingshots from branches, and tops out of twigs and bottle tops; they can make up games all day long if they want to. So the propensity for imagination is clearly there. I would encourage these donations more than any other because they need things that inspire and cultivate creativity.
5. used donations: these are always welcome. Keep the cost of shipping in mind though.
6. $$ - If you are interested in sending money for Christmas presents, please contact Deirdre Lewis (deirdlewis@yahoo.com) and she will help organize depositing money into my account. I came to the mall today to scope out what's available for this reason. [Mostly everything is here, at a cost - it's more expensive and, in some cases, of lesser quality, but might even out in terms of shipping cost and time]. I would be more than happy to take specific requests for gifts and get them here if that makes it easier. For those of you interested in donating towards water purification or solar panels, please contact me separately, and we can figure out what makes the most sense.

That's all for now, more soon.
Lovings, moh