GUest Post: Orphanage (finally, after much persuasion!)

If not for day 4 of the birthday week, this post might not have happened. I guess my bad habit of procrastinating irritates our dear birthday boy.

Yesterday, you should have seen how his face lighted up upon seeing a package with his name on it. He ripped open the package and started devouring the candies like a 7-year-old, smiling. Gummi bears, twizzlers, choc bars! I wish someone would send me a magic package too! He was feeling generous and started sharing the twizzlers to the major irritants of the staff room too. Oh, and he could be a good marketing agent for that pack of ciggies. Thanks to the sender of that package for I wouldn't have seen that side of him if not for your generosity.

About the Orphanage....

I came up with a service learning program last year for the students. I thought it would be good for them, the ignorant spoilt brats. They were divided into groups where they had different duties to perform during the visit. Some came up with an art and craft demo, performed song and dance items, introduced games etc. Some came with beans and wanted to teach the orphans how to plant them. They came thinking that these orphans do not go to school and are poor.

I made them write journals everyday during the preparation week. They were embarrassed when they reflected on their ignorance. (only a small number of them...and they were non-medanese students).

I made everyone contribute something for the orphans. These orphans lost their parents in the 2005 Nias Earthquake. COntribution became some sort of a competition amongst medanese parents. On the first day, we saw mothers carrying 2 boxes of dried foodstuff. The next day, the number increased. By the end of the week, parents came with brand new blankets and foodstuff enough to feed all the homeless in Indonesia. There are also those who think the orphanage is a dumping ground for their unwanted old, horrible clothes. Some even gave used undergarments! It took us days to repack everything. There was a nice parent,a Malaysian, who prepared sandwiches with her daughter.

On the day before the trip, we were sad to find out that 6 children from the orphanage we wanted to visit, had pneumonia and doctors said it wasn't safe to visit. So, with the help of the same parent, we contacted an NGO in Medan who happened to own another orphanage which houses Nias orphans. We were very lucky.

It was a long drive. Almost an hour- through potholes and earthy roads. We were on a big bus and it was difficult to enter those small lanes. We had to walk in for the bus was much too big for the lane.



The orphanage was situated somewhere rural- the same route we take to go to the mountains. It wasn't in a big building. It was like a village of orphans. They had a small house where they gathered for prayers and meals. The children live in groups of 4/5 in separate houses. The condition wasn't too favourable. Mosquitoes were swarming, children look dirty, the restrooms weren't clean. The orphans were very independent. The older ones look after the younger ones. They had duties and were very polite.





My students, of course, were restless. They were fanning themselves, asking the a/c to be switched on. Of course the room wasn't air-conditioned. Some were sulking so bad and asked to go home. They looked so uncomfortable and were perspiring so bad. However, some were really good, talking to the orphans, exchanging stories.At the end of the visit, they performed for us with such immense energy and passion, we were all embarrassed with our performance. It was a fruitful trip for me. In Singapore, the orphanages are like resorts.



I went to the other orphanage we were supposed to visit, 2 weeks after. The 6 children with pneumonia were quarantined. This orphanage seemed to house younger children.I noticed all the girls had cropped hair. When I looked closer, I saw that they had bad scalp and skin. They told me some had lice so they had to cut all their hair short.



They were constructing extensions to the building and clothes were hung where there were dust and dirt. This orphanage seem to receive more help from the public, said my student's parent. The space is bigger, though they still sleep in one crammed room. 4-5 children sleep in one bed.



There were 5 who weren't victims of the earthquake. They were almost sold to Malaysia and the authorities handed them to the orphanage. Their identities were unknown, there weren't any documentation for us to know their real ages. The youngest one was about 11 month old. He has the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen.



I did ask about adoption. They do not allow it but they welcome sponsorship. They are still in need of funds for the children's education so they welcome the public to sponsor a child's education.

I presented them with a painting done by my friend from Singapore. They were curious and started crowding around it.