On the 24th of December, while cribs are being finished off and stars are being lit, while sweets are being filled and fried and carolers drinking ginger tea, our Mobile Outreach Team organised a Christmas visit to Bookworm library for two MOP sites. St. Inez and Taleigao.
The children from the Taleigao site dressed up early and showed up at the library all on their own-some, lonesome but incredibly happy-some!
Three cars ( yeah, we understand traffic congestion and fuel burdens more than most) , went off to St. Inez ‘basti’ to pick up the troops. A few boys were semi ready. There was a sense of anticipation and only when they saw us with cars in tow, there was a scrambling to run into the homes, drink up evening tea, dress up, powder up and leave.
O the tizzy.. girls were braiding their hair while gesticulating to us to wait, others needed me to talk to their mums and reassure them that the children would be back by sun down and that we were going to the library and not Sunburn ! Much a do later, we set off.
Sheena , a santa – aunty , pronounced Santee ( by her!) greeted the children at the Library door and there was an uproar of happiness. Happiness can be manifested differently and our MOP children choose noise. There was much happiness.
A walk around the library, exploring books, admiring decor, meeting new teachers at the Library, playing games and more games , watching a film, getting treats and ho ho ho, they were all dropped home, before the sun went down on the coconut trees.
I know for my team that works with me on the Mobile Outreach Project , we would not trade this evening, for any other and it was a gift to us to have the children at Bookworm that day!
