One of the decisions I had worried about before going to Ethiopia was whether or not it would be a good idea for Joshua to return to the Care Center after I took custody. I did not want him to be afraid I would leave him OR in the case that he felt more comfortable with the nannies than me, I did not want him to be "ripped away" again. In the end, I was very much encouraged by the Ethiopian staff to return with him. I do not think he benefited or was harmed by these outings. I benefited by learning more about the routine there. He simply hung very close to me. His feet rarely touched the ground. He was quiet and comfortable IF Krissy or I was holding him. He was cautious but polite to his nannies and had no interest in playing with his friends.
I want to introduce you to some of the people who took excellent care of him.
This is Sister Almaz. She is in charge of the children's care at the care center. I credit her with the amazing condition Joshua Gebeyehu is in currently. She told me that if I would have seen him in January I would have cried and cried. He was very malnourished and had never been strong enough to walk. That he is walking, talking, and healthy today is a miracle. You would never know the happy-go-lucky boy who chats away our day was in such rough shape months ago. (On a side note - when looking through pictures last night Gebeyehu saw this photo and yelled "Sister". It occurred to me that the reason he reacts so oddly when I call Krissy, Sierra, and Brenna his sisters is because they seem nothing like the Sister he loved.)
This is Abebe. He is the chief administrator of IANs office in Ethiopia. He oversees it all. He knows each child by name and truly loves them. He told me that Gebeyehu is extra special to him. Abebe was warm and caring. I could not respect him more. When he went to leave Gebeyehu for the last time he came back for one more hug when he saw Gebeyehu waving and yelling "Chow!" I am grateful for all he did to join us to our son.
This is Eyob, IAN's driver in Ethiopia. Gebeyehu LOVED him because he had a macheena. Eyob was awesome with the kids. He would play hide and seek with the kids and they would run giggling.
This was Gebeyehu's bed at the care center. He shared it with another little boy who I would guess is 4. The beds were larger than a crib but smaller than a twin. The care center recently moved and I was VERY touched that the nannies moved Gebeyehu's poster along with all the other things. It definitely made a difference. Several children showed me the poster and would point to me in it and then poke my chest and giggle "Gebeyehu mama!"One fun thing we did when visiting the care center was photograph all the children and bring them treats. Handing out the treats was a little overwhelming with Joshua clinging to my hip and 20+ children yelling with glee for a treat. But it was fun as well. We brought bracelets, candy necklaces, stickers, balloons, and beach balls.
We also brought a care package for our friends' boys. That was very fun.
We were also allowed to photograph the children for their waiting families. There were about 22 children at the care center plus 9 infants. The children were beautiful and full of life. It was a pleasure to get a glimpse of them.
Here are a few pictures of the care center.
On the far left is the gate - in Ethiopia almost everything is gated. There are walls around the entire care center and the children can not see beyond them. It is a very secluded life. The little building in the middle that looks like a tree house is actually the guards sleeping quarters. There is a guard at night and that is where he sleeps. (I never felt in danger or saw any violence, but every nice building has a guard.)
The tuck-under garage type area makes a cool place for the children to play. There is a piece of carpet for them to play on. Above is the classroom. They will be starting preschool for all the kids over 2 (maybe 3?) soon.
This is another view of the balcony that Gebeyehu was standing on when we first arrived. It is a nice spot for the kids to eat lunch and snacks. The open door beyond the slide goes into the classroom. The classroom had a couple tables and chairs, a TV and DVD player, a few books, and a couple posters. Abebe said that preschool type school supplies would be helpful - like scissors, paint, paper, glue, etc...
Here you can see the playground strung with the endless laundry. Could you imagine keeping clothes for 30+ little ones with no dryer and a poor washer? They also use mostly cloth diapers! The green building in the background is the toddler/preschool sleeping quarters.
Another view of the balcony - behind the balcony are the baby rooms, and a modern bathroom. Under the balcony is the washroom and the storage room.
A view of the whole playground
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Above is Mitin. She did A LOT of administrative work to connect us to Gebeyehu. She was totally loved by the children. When she would walk into a room, they would all yell "Mitin!" Sometimes when Gebeyehu is really mad at me he cries her name. (This cracks me up a little because she did not take care of him, just stopped by once in a while to dote on the kids!)
And here we are in Eyob's car ready to leave for the last time. I am thankful for all I saw and learned there. Gebeyehu received excellent loving care, but NO child should grow up in a day care type facility. I am very glad he is home learning what it is to be part of a family.**Today has been much better than yesterday. We were home all day and for now that feels most secure. Joshua got with in 1 step of Riley on his dad's lap. He thought Riley giving Daddy kisses was very funny. He napped better, learned to say Sierra, ate a big supper, and threw a fit about not getting to wear his shoes to bed! Some things are age appropriate mixed with insecurities. Taking off his beloved shoes is traumatic. I think because at the care center nothing was yours once it left your body. He has special slippers to wear to bed and most nights that does the trick, but tonight he only wanted his shoes. That is a bit of a problem when he also wants to sleep with me part of the night - a rolling toddler with shoes on is not any fun! I am certain this will get better though, we used to have to hide his coat and he now proudly hangs it up in its spot when we get in from outside.
