'This October I went to stay at Hammu Pangia to spend time with the kids and to discuss the operations with the staff.
When I arrived at 1 pm, most of the children are still in school. Kristine, one of our staff members, who helps with the smaller children, informed me that they are doing well and help wherever they can.
Angel was at home. She is still small and participates in the toddler program at the children's home. But during my stay she had mumps and although she was still very active, the staff kept a close eye on her recovery.
When the older kids came home from school, Elan showed me his hands. He has had an operation on his hands after a nasty infection, but fortunately they heal well. He is able to write again and is doing some extra work for school to keep up.
Together with Petrus, who manages the children's home operationally, I went over all the maintenance that needs to be done in the coming months. Due to an earthquake on Sumba last September, there are two quite deep cracks in the wall of the room where the kids eat and play and they need to be repaired. There are also some tiles at the stairs that need to be replaced. I promise to discuss it with the Heart For Sumba Foundation, to see if we have funds.
Some of the walls of the home looked a bit scruffy and together with some of the kids we cleaned them with water and soap.
Petrus also showed me the vegetable garden next to the home, where he is growing different kinds of vegetables that are used for the meals of the children and staff. That way they don't have to buy it all at the market, where vegetables can be expensive from time to time. The older children love to help him with it and learn a lot in the process. The garden looked very good and the kids were very proud on what they had achieved together. Work in progress!'
