Soup kitchen

I started my first day at the soup kitchen for Tb patients this morning. It was mostly me sitting around and collecting the numbers from the patients so they could get a plate of food. But, the point of the soup kitchen is to feed the TB patients before they go to take their meds. Around 30 people are signed up, about 10 were kids, but so many more showed up. The people not signed up were just standing around watching them eat. So what was happening is that the patients take a few bites than they take the rest of the food home in containers that they brought. It was sad because everyone is hungry and in the San community food, like everything else, is communal and shared. So the kids were sneaking spoonfuls of rice to their friends under the table and kept looking over at me as if I was going to scold them. Then people were finding ways to reuse the numbers so I lost track of who ate, and the issue is that the food has to last till month end but it probably won’t as the food is being sneaked out of windows in kitchen, and what do you do? Yell at a kid who is shoveling as much rice as he can into his mouth, hoping he doesn’t get caught? Ugh. I wanted to cry, but then what good are tears? They don’t stop people from being hungry. Hopefully this garden will become successful, and more food can be produced. Unfortunately, the plot is small and the garden isn't thriving. Hopefully the Red cross can get more funds out here and get this thing going!

Otherwise I am busy with some more grants, and am trying to get a playground built on an unused plot of land. It would have benches, picnic tables, and paths around it. I feel that tourists would like it and boosting tourism is always a plus. Also, I'd like to plant some flowers common in Nam so that the locals can see some of the plants that they don't ever see. (Most don't ever travel their country) Any other ideas for what could go in there? or comments on this idea? This is something I really want to see happen as it would be something that I could leave behind, sort of as proof that I was here.

Miss you all! Send me letters damn it!