Sad Beginning

Just as we were getting started with today's group, a baby was found in  a basket right outside of the school. The baby was dead and had been left there sometime during the night.  According to the bibis and to Dickson, this is not unusual as young girls leave babies that they cannot raise, often they are ashamed of the pregnancy.  It was unclear how the bibis felt about it, perhaps they too are accustomed to it happening. They were very interested in today's topic on drugs which is a major concern in Dar.  They had many questions and comments regarding their concerns for their grandchildren.  Cocaine seems to be a drug of choice among teens.  The topic of dealing with loss and how children and adults differ brought forth a lot of discussion as the group shared their own personal experiences. They share a lot in common with other grandmothers raising their grandchildren in that they are all dealing with grief and the challenging task of explaining loss to the children.