So it's the night before leaving and my intentions for a quiet sneak off have been circumvented by LB who is so excited he is in danger of exploding before we even get near the plane. He has been merrily suggesting
to any likely looking adult that they might like to donate some money to the orphanage. And blow me down they have!
His lovely teachers had a whip round in the staff room and sent him packing with a sigh of
relief no doubt but also with enough money to treat the kids there to what ever we think appropriate - I was thinking of a round of ice-creams for staff and children alike (at least those who are old enough) but then random friends on facebook keep sending
me money too so I'm thinking that we'll have enough to buy other stuff too - craft supplies, paper - I'll find out what they need.
A few of our little band of UK/Kazakh families have children from the same place
and we have donated between all of us really quite a substantial amount so I'm hoping to be able to replace some furniture for them too.
Touchingly LB has been
on a mission (aided by my mum the arch ebayer) to sell off as many of his old toys as he can and is proudly clutching $85 which he will split between buying things for the kids and buying himself some reminders of his time there.
In a bizarre twist of fate it seems that a lady I have roped in to help us in Almaty is friendly with a surgeon at Great Ormond Street who does free surgeries for poorer families out in Kaz once a year so we are also taking some stuff out for him. It's
turning into a regular aid convoy...
Anyone else got that song in their head now.
I on the other hand am still working and have not packed a thing. I may turn up
with a couple of carrier bags at this rate. So different to the last time I went when I had to pack some clothes, toys, nappies, formula etc for a child of uncertain gender and uncertain age. Now it seems all the child needs as essentials are his
ipad mini, David Walliams book and some clean pants. And frankly the clean pants were my idea and not necessarily one of my better ones in his eyes.
See you on the other side.