"You do orphan care?" she asked. "So do we" and with that we set up a time where we could visit further.
She is a fireball. She is on a sabbatical leave from her nun position because she has two "vulnerables" that she cares for. She is a government high school teacher so is self-supporting. She has built herself a nice house and as well she co-ordinates much of the activity of OVO, a NGO jointly launched by herself and an Irish Catholic priest in Mazabuka. They have strategized a community care model of orphan care finding community volunteers "caregivers" to oversee the mostly rural projects. They pay for school fees, feed and provide counsel. Sister Macleena is involved in training, guiding and oversight of the caregivers - besides her teaching job, building the house and caring for the kids in her care!
At least about 3 - 4 times a month we meet up with another NGO and spend time inquiring about what they are doing, why they are doing it, where funding comes from and how ZMF-C might possibly be able to connct the families of our released babies to their services, if its needed.
We'll be meeting up again with Macleena to share more information and we'll arrange to see the priest as we travel through Mazabuka next week.
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