As she sat so close to me and held my hand, Lydia (13) looked at me with a smile and said, “When I grow up, I want to be a nurse”. Even though Lydia (not her real name) is in a remand home waiting for the judge’s verdict on her case, she is hopeful that her future will be as bright as she pictures it.
“I have been here for three months. I know that there are others who have been here longer than that. Every day, I wake up and all I see are these blue walls. That is as far as I could go. I can’t play outside those walls,” she said looking outside from the hall that we were in.
“I feel so trapped and bored sometimes. But I believe that things will get better. I have faith that I will get out pretty soon,” she said. After hearing what Ms. Louise said, she knew that things would get better.
“God loves you and He thinks the best about you, it doesn’t matter what you have done but what He wants to do in your life” said Louise Mwenda, who was among the 37 members of Tehillah-Friday Ministry who `visited the Remand Home in Dar es Salaam on Sunday, November 8 this year.
It was a great day to share the love of God with the children. The team gave the children some food-stuff and some for personal hygiene. There was also a time for one-to-one talks with the children.
Ms. Louise told the children about God’s love and that despite what they have done in the past or what they will do in the future, God thinks highly of them.
The session led by Ms. Louise was very interactive. Ms. Louise asked the children what they wanted to be in the future. Each one of them stood up and shared with the others what his dreams were. “A doctor” one said. “A president” said the other. “A Member of parliament”…. “A pilot”… And it went on and on until Lydia also stood up and said with a smile “A nurse”.
One of the children was very honest with what he felt inside. He stood up and said, “I have dreams alright, but I don’t think that I can fulfill my goals because I have never gone to school” Lydia is among 17 children that we found at the remand home. Of these, two were girls. Most of these kids, says Ms. Lucy, a worker at the remand home, have been charged of theft, being vulgar to passengers, dropping school and sexual assaults.
The Visit
At 4pm we were standing outside waiting to see the children and impart into their hearts a hope that we have in the love of God. Everyone was excited. We had our goodie-bags with us. Our smiles and our cameras weren’t far either. But sadly, taking pictures of the children was prohibited. The children might be in such an environment today, but tomorrow is another day. They wouldn’t want the whole world to remember them as criminals. And we agree on that.
“I have been here for three months. I know that there are others who have been here longer than that. Every day, I wake up and all I see are these blue walls. That is as far as I could go. I can’t play outside those walls,” she said looking outside from the hall that we were in.
“I feel so trapped and bored sometimes. But I believe that things will get better. I have faith that I will get out pretty soon,” she said. After hearing what Ms. Louise said, she knew that things would get better.
“God loves you and He thinks the best about you, it doesn’t matter what you have done but what He wants to do in your life” said Louise Mwenda, who was among the 37 members of Tehillah-Friday Ministry who `visited the Remand Home in Dar es Salaam on Sunday, November 8 this year.
It was a great day to share the love of God with the children. The team gave the children some food-stuff and some for personal hygiene. There was also a time for one-to-one talks with the children.
Ms. Louise told the children about God’s love and that despite what they have done in the past or what they will do in the future, God thinks highly of them.
The session led by Ms. Louise was very interactive. Ms. Louise asked the children what they wanted to be in the future. Each one of them stood up and shared with the others what his dreams were. “A doctor” one said. “A president” said the other. “A Member of parliament”…. “A pilot”… And it went on and on until Lydia also stood up and said with a smile “A nurse”.
One of the children was very honest with what he felt inside. He stood up and said, “I have dreams alright, but I don’t think that I can fulfill my goals because I have never gone to school” Lydia is among 17 children that we found at the remand home. Of these, two were girls. Most of these kids, says Ms. Lucy, a worker at the remand home, have been charged of theft, being vulgar to passengers, dropping school and sexual assaults.
The Visit
At 4pm we were standing outside waiting to see the children and impart into their hearts a hope that we have in the love of God. Everyone was excited. We had our goodie-bags with us. Our smiles and our cameras weren’t far either. But sadly, taking pictures of the children was prohibited. The children might be in such an environment today, but tomorrow is another day. They wouldn’t want the whole world to remember them as criminals. And we agree on that.
There are different drawings on the wall around the playground which isn’t that big. And on them (the walls) are written different messages about children’s rights. Such messages includes: Children have the right to play, the right to enjoy life, and the right to rest.
The boy’s dorm was pretty dark because the windows are very small. And those windows, said Ms. Lucy weren’t there when the place was built back in 1962.
The children seemed happy that we were there. And everyone looked so excited to share what we felt inside – The Love of God that has loved us beyond measure.
The Challenge
“There are new challenges everyday” says Ms. Lucy and continues “Knowing how children think is the biggest of them all I must say”She explained how sometimes the children would pretend to be ill only to come and realize later on that it was just pretence. Without patience, it is not easy to handle these children with love.
But as far as the whole correctional system is concerned, there are still a lot of potholes, she said. Remand homes are meant to be “correctional institutions”, a place where a child will learn different life-skills that would help them when they go back home. The problem is, says Ms. Lucy, there are only five such institutions in the country, namely in Tanga, Dar es Salaam, Moshi, Arusha and Mbeya. And when it comes to facilities, there is still a great challenge to create a conducive environment for children to learn.
The Needs
Ms Lucy explained that the kids don’t come with extra clothes. They are in need of clothes! “On the first day of their arrival, they take a shower and have a meal, and we give them the extra clothes that have been donated,” she explained. Thus, they are in need of clothes.
There is also a need of mattresses of size 3x5’ and bed sheets – as many as possible. The remand home can cater for 60 children at a time, but there are times when it receives up to a hundred children. Ms. Lucy says that even though that hasn’t happened in a while, there is still a need for such items since they aren’t enough even for the few kids that are there at the moment.
The children do have some activities - they play cards or football and they have time to watch TV. Ms. Lucy says it would be nice if they had some children books to read.
And as far as their diet is concerned, they occasionally have meat. And they know that they have rice for dinner on Wednesdays. And someone has recently volunteered to make rice on Sundays. Knowing how important it is for children to eat well, Ms. Lucy pointed out that this is also a need.
Ms Lucy has been at the home for 16 years. She has seen things change for the better. And even though things aren’t as she would like them to be, “I am here to stay. This is more than a job to me, it is a ministry. And I am not going anywhere. Someone has to take care of these kids, teach them things about life. I am glad that it could be me” she said.
Well, maybe Ms Lucy has seen different children at the institution for the past 16 years; Lydia isn’t planning to stay that long. She told me with a smile – “I am glad that you came today, it means a lot to me. I am sure it won’t be long till I see my grandma again and grow up to fulfill my dreams,” As we said goodbye to each other, I almost wished that I would find her the next time I went.
- Written by Esther-Karin Mngodo
The boy’s dorm was pretty dark because the windows are very small. And those windows, said Ms. Lucy weren’t there when the place was built back in 1962.
The children seemed happy that we were there. And everyone looked so excited to share what we felt inside – The Love of God that has loved us beyond measure.
The Challenge
“There are new challenges everyday” says Ms. Lucy and continues “Knowing how children think is the biggest of them all I must say”She explained how sometimes the children would pretend to be ill only to come and realize later on that it was just pretence. Without patience, it is not easy to handle these children with love.
But as far as the whole correctional system is concerned, there are still a lot of potholes, she said. Remand homes are meant to be “correctional institutions”, a place where a child will learn different life-skills that would help them when they go back home. The problem is, says Ms. Lucy, there are only five such institutions in the country, namely in Tanga, Dar es Salaam, Moshi, Arusha and Mbeya. And when it comes to facilities, there is still a great challenge to create a conducive environment for children to learn.
The Needs
Ms Lucy explained that the kids don’t come with extra clothes. They are in need of clothes! “On the first day of their arrival, they take a shower and have a meal, and we give them the extra clothes that have been donated,” she explained. Thus, they are in need of clothes.
There is also a need of mattresses of size 3x5’ and bed sheets – as many as possible. The remand home can cater for 60 children at a time, but there are times when it receives up to a hundred children. Ms. Lucy says that even though that hasn’t happened in a while, there is still a need for such items since they aren’t enough even for the few kids that are there at the moment.
The children do have some activities - they play cards or football and they have time to watch TV. Ms. Lucy says it would be nice if they had some children books to read.
And as far as their diet is concerned, they occasionally have meat. And they know that they have rice for dinner on Wednesdays. And someone has recently volunteered to make rice on Sundays. Knowing how important it is for children to eat well, Ms. Lucy pointed out that this is also a need.
Ms Lucy has been at the home for 16 years. She has seen things change for the better. And even though things aren’t as she would like them to be, “I am here to stay. This is more than a job to me, it is a ministry. And I am not going anywhere. Someone has to take care of these kids, teach them things about life. I am glad that it could be me” she said.
Well, maybe Ms Lucy has seen different children at the institution for the past 16 years; Lydia isn’t planning to stay that long. She told me with a smile – “I am glad that you came today, it means a lot to me. I am sure it won’t be long till I see my grandma again and grow up to fulfill my dreams,” As we said goodbye to each other, I almost wished that I would find her the next time I went.
- Written by Esther-Karin Mngodo
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