What actually happens in MJC

DIIIING!!! DINNNGGG!! 4:45am...I still have 15 minutes to sleep yet...but by 5am the bell rings again and this time I slowly get out of bed. I stretch and yawn...time to begin another interesting day. After pulling on my clothes, washing my face, and brushing my shoes I glance around the room: lights off, fan off, windows closed. I am ready to go to chapel. At 5:30 am we are expected to be in chapel where the children sing songs, pray and read until 6:15am. As I walk to chapel I hear children calling: "Aunty....how you?" "Hi Aunty Hen" "You come to chapel, Aunty Hen?" I smile and answer each one of their questions and then I grab ahold of their tiny hands which, even in the morning darkness contrast with mine. I take my flip-flops off and follow the rest of the 500+ girls inside the building where I seat myself on a lawn chair. 45 minutes later, I have 4 children hanging on my one side and three on the other and I take them to the soccer field where we first run the 1km track and then begin exercises for 20 minutes. As I walk into the Sabina hostel toward to wash area, I call the children, that I see and pass, that it is time to wash up and get ready for school. I help the children undress and walk them to the hose which flows with cold water. It’s 7am, not the warmest time of the day to have a bath and for all not a cold one! No wonder several of these children have continual flues and sicknesses. A girl was diagnosed about one week before we came with tuberculosis, which means that she will be in isolation for another two weeks. Where was I? Oh yes, I am now on my way to the dining hall, it is 7:50am and breakfast is served at 8. Songs are sung and we pray for our meal and then a stainless steel plate is put before me and a few seconds later chappathy (similar to naan), rice, or idli (steamed cake made from fermented rice and flour) is on my plate and I begin to eat with my right hand. Eating with your left hand in India is apparently disgusting because that’s the hand you use in the bathroom. Most of them are already wearing their navy pants, sky blue blouses and red and yellow striped ties for school, so after breakfast they go to their rooms, clean them and finish up whatever other chores they need to do. By 9:00 all 500+ children are in line and ready to do the daily march. It’s neat to watch and hear: "Left, right left. Left, right, left." Their feet and hands are in perfect unison with the person in front of them. School begins immediately afterwards and then we are free until 1:30 (lunch). Lunch is usually rice with a delicious sauce and the children wolf it down and by 2:30 they are back in their classes faithfully studying. By 4:00pm school is over and we play games, talk and read books to the children. They love all the attention they can get, even if it means walking around aimlessly holding our hands. At 6pm supper is served and by 7:00 the doors to the Sabina hostel are locked. From 7-9 the children have study hour and they must be in their room studying. A bell sounds fifteen minutes before each event so as usual at 9:45 a bell sounds and at 10pm the final bell sounds: lights out. In our room, we are still reminiscing about the day, showering, reading and some of us are already sleeping. We are lucky, in the other guest rooms the showers are cold and in the children’s rooms they have no showers or only a trickle of cold water as their shower. Washing by hand is not as bad as it looks, although you really need to think about what clothes to wear the next day especially with only three sets! The beds here are not as comfortable as in Canada, but a bed is a bed and if you’re tired you sleep anywhere! At night we need to keep all the doors to our room closed or else we will wake up with zillions of mosquito bites and a cold because of the weather change and air pollution that comes over night. Last week we went out to buy items for MJC from the sponsor money: clothes, shampoo, medicine, soap, shoes, gloves for the kitchen, aprons, and several other items that is needed here. When the girls receive their "gifts" they are so happy and thankful: it is such an experience! Thanks for all those who gave supported this in various ways!