A surprising theme for the day!

My friend, our kids and I were walking down the streets in Taba; the 'nice' side of town. We were on our way to visit her mother’s project, which she had told me about but I’d never seen. As we passed six women hoeing a field behind a high school, I stopped to wipe Hannah's nose. The women stopped to watch Hannah. Hannah asked for the tissue, lay her toy rabbit back in her arm and gently wiped its nose in a very motherly fashion. The women 'oohed' and 'aahed', laughing. On we walked, soon arriving at the project.

Thirteen girls live there who have mentally unwell mothers, so were on the streets. The government authorities bring new girls there sometimes. There is another branch that places children with AIDS in homes and helps families to support them, growing food and paying school fees etc. and another branch that runs income generating projects (making stuff) for women with AIDS. Research is done to make sure that each person they help has a genuine need. It was quite impressive!

On the way home we saw a group of ragged boys leaving the back of the high school where the women were still hoeing. The boys looked pleased. My friend told me they come daily to eat the students' leftovers – what’s been left on their plates. Today they had some second hand mosquito nets too! They passed us in the street (Hannah is interested in every rock and flower) and my friend chatted cheerfully with them. It reminded me that she has helped many street boys in the past, managing a project, and seen the boys grow up and come good.

After we arrived home at my friend's house we were visited by a young man about to start law at the university who wanted to share his passion for helping street children. He said he had seen me on the street a couple of months ago and for some reason wanted to talk to me about it. I was waiting for a request for money but it didn’t come – he’s just overflowing with passion and had to share it. I've put him in touch with a music therapist / lawyer running a project for street boys here and we're all going to visit the project this week.

A surprising theme for the day! I wonder where it will lead…