We met with the group of separated children that we will be doing activities with all summer. JP works with the social workers that are in charge of these children- they all have come to Ireland with no parents or family.
JP told me a story of two eight year old Congolese boys, one that was very ill with sickle cell anemia, that were crying in front of him as they told their story to social workers. They hadn't seen their family in 5 years, they were sick, and they were very scared.
We took about 20 of these kids, some of them not really kids, ranging from 15-20 years old, to a performance of Mamma Mia in the Bord Gais Energy Theatre. They were from African countries, Albania, and other Eastern European countries, all here without family. The girl that Priya and I were sitting next to was named Beatrice. She was from the Democratic Republic of Congo, 19, and had never seen a musical before.
After the play, we took a trip to Howth to go out to dinner and walk around. It was absolutely, hands-down, one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen.
We had an incredible, incredible meal at The House, where I had a cheese plate, an asparagus and artichoke tart, and shared a banoffee dessert and a warm brownie with ice cream. I couldn't breathe after.
Afterwards, we took a walk along the pier, each of us speechless, in awe. Ireland seems familiar, almost like New England, with its fishing boats, rocky sea, and sea-salt air. However, it's much more majestic, with giant green mountains jutting into the sky, their lines soft and smooth and fluid. It is unlike any other place that I have ever been.
We stood on the edge of the pier and shared how lucky we all felt to be on this program. Later, we walked back, hushed, introspective, content.
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