A Week of Goodbyes

This past week we said goodbye to a number of sweet babies.

As with every goodbye here at TTL, we all celebrate when a baby reaches the goal of health...chubby cheeks and legs, a strong appetite, and the correct medications.

But to say goodbye to these sweet little faces...well, I don't imagine I'll ever stop missing each one of them.

Tlhokuli came to the safe-home two and a half months ago to recover from malnutrition.

He learned to walk while he was with us and from those first steps on he thought walking was the funniest thing in the whole world.

Each step was accompanied by endless baby giggles.

Tlholohelo's family brought her to us because she was suffering from TB and malnutrition.

Although we try to keep babies away from home as short of time as possible, Tholohelo spent six months with us to ensure that her TB medication was completed successfully and her ARVs working effectively.

At just 16 months old, Tlholohelo already knows all her vowels...she crawls around saying "A-E-I-O-U"...I have no idea how she learned that.

As you can see in the above picture, her whole family was so excited for her return...she was a little weary of all the people hugging her at first, but by the time we left she was already falling into the rhythm of her family.

Relebohile came to TTL at just a week old (photo on the right) because his mother was experiencing severe post-partum depression and there was no one else in the community to look after him. 

After two and a half months in the safe-home, TTL's Outreach team found a family member who could take care of him.

In the photo on the right, Kokonyanna, one of the TTL Outreach workers, is getting the little guy ready to head home...I wish you could see his little baby mohawk better...so cute.

Oh, Kabelo....or KB, as all the bo'me call him.

Kabelo will head back to his family this coming Wednesday.

While at the safe-home he's overcome malnutrition and started a successful ARV regiment...and will likely walk any day now.

This little man makes me laugh so hard...he demands your attention by quietly but persistently saying "M'e" - the Sesotho word for "mother" - until you walk over to him, hold out both hands so he can grab on, and help him walk around the room.