AFM Child Labor (it's a good thing!)

We love the opportunities that our kids have on the Africa Mercy.  Some opportunities come as a result of living on a hospital ship; some come through the school.  Some of the things they are able to do come through other crew members offering a class or service; some come through us as their parents making things happens (and making them participate!).  And some of the opportunities our children have come from their own little minds and initiatives. 

The kids that are on the ship for the summer are a special bunch…somehow they decided that they wanted to work.  Hope you enjoy this sweet “telling of the tale” from our Operations Director, Tracy Swope.

As the Operations Director, you have people "tracking you down" all day. Some people have good ideas and want to share their thoughts. Some just want to tell you that at 1829 (PM), 1 minute before closing the dining room, the cauliflower vegetable was not available. You learn to take it all in stride.

Last week, I was hunted, and yes I mean, hunted down by people shorter than me. That is saying something, as I am not a very tall person. I received numerous text messages, notes left on my cabin and office doors, and I had other crew members telling me that a “gang” of short people were seeking me out.

I must admit, I was trying to avoid this gang.  Last year, the ship entered dry dock shortly after arrival in Spain.  Most of our shorter crew members were not located on the ship but were moved into shore based housing almost immediately. This year in S. Africa, the families have remained on board for the first three weeks and, with limited transportation, I knew this gang was on the prowl and I suspected they were bored.  In fact, I wondered if Donovan had coerced this gang into ambushing me with silly string or something along that line. I do not mind admitting, I felt out of my league in dealing with this gang.

I saw a few members of this gang in the café, so I ducked into the laundry room to avoid them. After 5 minutes, I went around the back of the ship to my office thinking that I had out smarted them. However, wait, there was the gang in front of my door!

As I approached my door, a plea rose from their lips:

“Please, can we work on the ship?”

I stopped, “What?"

Gang: “We want to volunteer on our ship.”

Hmmmm,  no cans of silly string or water balloons?  Let me see what I can do.

What an example of what the parents   “do” the children learn to “do.” These young crewmembers looked at Eliot Royston (one of the teenagers onboard who is working but is not pictured) and their parents volunteering on the AFM and then followed suit. After a few quick meetings, looking at child safety and locating age appropriate departments, these volunteers joined our crew as VOLUNTEERS.

A few words about it all from Eli and Caroline

Eli:  “It was fun.  I worked in the dining room with some of my friends.  I washed dishes and watched the line and made sure there were drinks.  I pulled out the tables that hold the ketchup and sauces and salad stuff and pulled those back in at the end of the meals.  I had fun.  I mainly worked with Mr. Sam.  He taught me a lot about operating the lift that sends the food up and down from the galley.  That was my favorite part – operating the service elevator.” 

Caroline:  “Basically all we did was fold laundry – and wash laundry.  We probably did about 20 full loads each day.  I got really good at folding towels.  I could probably do it with one hand.  On Monday we mopped and swept the floor – that was the other thing we did.  The lady we worked with was Miss Zena.  She was very nice.  It was really fun and I enjoyed it.  I think I may even ask if I can do it once a week after school.” 

Thanks, Tracy, for taking the time to help these precious ones serve.   Hands on experience is a priceless gift!  There's no telling what seeds have been planted as a result of this chance to work and serve and give -- if nothing else they've gained a greater appreciation for the work that is done for them and around them on a daily basis (though we've all certainly gained more than that...we have an expert laundress in the family now!).

Surely there will be more to come!