Arandis (pics)

above: We hiked up the closest mountain to Arandis with some of the neighborhood kids. This was a special adventure for both us and them, especially as we got to know each other. Though there are not the Hopes Promise kids that we came specifically for, they have become regulars in our home and lives.

above & below: Just some pictures to share with you the way Arandis looks. The town was originally built by the Rossing Mining company around 1979 to house it's workers. Since then, there have been little updates to the town and most of the structures and infrastructure have not aged gracefully.


Above: Home Sweet Home. Well, kinda. This house was bought recently for us to live in. We are staying in another house in town as we wait for the current tenants to move and for some basic repairs and changes to be made. Most of the houses are exactly the same in size and arrangement... so there wasn't a lot of house-shopping that needed to be done to determine where we would live. The GREAT thing about this house is that it's only about 80 meters from where the Hopes Promise kids go to school.

above: Unfortunately, this is the most common "wildlife" around Arandis. Also unfortunately, the kids don't have many places to play that isn't littered with broken glass. We have had to provide first aid help for several hurt feet (as most of the kids here in Arandis don't have shoes or simply don't wear them if they do). I am working with a small group of kids to help clean up an area so that they can play soccer safely (see pic below).