Lots of Wee in the Land of No Diapers!!

We have almost completed our first week of volunteer work in Tam Ky and it has been an amazing four days. We work at three different orphanages and teach English to a group of 11 adults. The kids at each of the orphanges range in age from one week old to eight years old, but there are a few older kids scattered about. Most of the kids are available for adoption, although a few have parents who are too poor to take care of them at this time but to whom they will eventually return.

When we go to visit the orphanages we take as many toys as we can carry in the baskets on front of our bicycles. This has led to a few interesting incidents when the toys go spilling across the road and we are forced to dodge motorbikes in order to save the toys. The only time of the day when the kids get to play with toys is while we are there, otherwise they seem to disappear and get broken. I am sure you can imagine how eager the kids are when we arrive. At first we thought they were excited to see us but we quickly realized the truth, they just want the toys, fruit and vitamins that we bring them. For the first 30 minutes or so that we are there most of the kids simply try to hoard as many toys as they can get. However, as the time passes they start sharing and actually playing with each other. They are so sweet and affectionate and I just wish they could all live with a family instead of in an institution.

The babies are the most heartbreaking. There are two that need surgery but have not yet gotten it. One for a cleft palate and lip and the other for an enlarged liver and spleen. We have been working with the director to facilitate both of these procedures. The other babies just seem like dolls more than kids. They rarely cry and spend so much time in their cribs that they don't always notice when you pick them up and try to play with them. The workers at the orphanage take good care of the kids and truely want the best for them but there are limited resources and not enough workers. It makes me wonder what the orphanages are like that don't have volunteers coming to help.

I think this is going to be a great month but it will be hard to leave and not bring every single child home with us. We just try to focus on what we can do rather than all the things we can't fix. In the end just being with the kids makes it all worthwhile.