This needs Bleach

The fridge was moldy, stinky, and damp. Big scary bugs and ants made their home in the drawers as well as left over matches and crumbs. In the sink, there were some fish bones. On the wooden counter top, there was melted wax, burned spots, and little lizards. The shelves up high contained dust and dead bugs of all sorts.

This kitchen needed bleach and I used it generously! I have never cleaned a fridge so gross or dealt with so many bugs and so much mold before. On top of scrubbing everything, removing bones and bugs, and dumping bleach on everything, we sanded down the shelves and counter top and varnished them. Though the whole process was disgusting, I feel as though I am a much more capable and tough woman now, ready to conquer any more gross kitchens that come my way.

Now you might be wondering why I was cleaning this gross kitchen so I’ll explain myself. (It wasn’t our apartment kitchen. Our kitchen is fairly nice…other than the ants).

Claire, the 22-year-old volunteer from England, and I have become great friends! I love her company and we have a jolly-good time together! She is currently the temporary director of the orphanage while Davona is in the states. When Claire came to Cradle of Love the first time, she fell in love with a little boy named Selamani. She always dreamed of adopting him, but didn’t think it would be possible. As this is her third time back to Africa and she is planning on staying a couple of years, she decided to look into adoption. To make a long story short, she found out that it would be possible!

Selamani will be 3-years-old in November and is currently living at another orphanage about 30 minutes away. In order to start fostering him, Claire was required to get her own house, so that’s what she did! I had fun doing some house-shopping with her. She found a place that is only a 10-15 minute walk from the orphanage and is very nice considering the standards here. It has a toilet instead of a squat pot (which is exciting), two bedrooms, a small dining room and living room, a kitchen and a small rocky back yard. Someone came to touch up the paint on the walls, but there were still a few things left quite grungy. One of those was the kitchen…the task I already told you about. Now we’ve got it all furnished up and Claire can go pick up her boy! This is exciting stuff!