Although tired, the group set out today with renewed energy and enthusiastic attitudes. We were going to the placement center again, but this time we were bringing clothes! It was one of the things we had wanted to do since the beginning of the trip. When we first met the kids, we were sometimes confused by their gender, simply because many of the little boys were wearing pick and floral patterns; basically, the kids were dressed in whatever fit. It didn’t help either that their hair is cut short because it was easier to take care of on a day-to-day basis as well as during a breakout of lice.
So we arrived in the morning, carrying our bag of clothes to a noisy playroom. We said good morning to the children and began to show the staff and hospital workers what we had brought. In no time at all they were putting our clothes on the kids and thanking us profusely. One little girl immediately went for a pink, flower-cover tank top and modeled it around, and then quickly disappeared around a corner. When she came back, she was sporting bright pink sunglasses, shaped like flowers with a wide, bright smile to match. We each grabbed the hands of a newly-outfitted kid and headed down to the park, seeing the joy in each of their faces – young children and adults alike.
I would describe our first day at the placement center as shocking. We all froze as we entered the playroom, never having faced such a sight. It was heartbreaking seeing the multitude of handicapped children in a space that simply was not suited to accommodate them all – and on top of that, having no parents to look after them. On the second day, after we had played with the children some more, the tragic reality of it all seemed to slip to the back of our minds as we focused on having fun and making the kids laugh. Only when we had to leave did it hit us again – now they have no one to play with, no one who can hold them and give them their undivided attention. Today, I think we all felt different. Walking into the center we were cheerful and we greeted the children by name. There were smiles all around as we walked to the park and swung and took pictures. The group really got to know the children – their personalities and what they liked. We were bonding with the kids, which is imperative for their development. And knowing that not only our material donations, but our time, had a positive impact is very rewarding. None of us were thinking about that at the time however, because thinking about actuality evoked a polar opposite emotion to that which we felt when playing with the kids. The steep changes in emotion were overwhelming, and after a while, we were trying as hard as possible to get through the days without letting reality set in. Only now do we realize what exactly was going on. Our volunteer work consisted of making kids laugh, giving them attention, and spreading love – hardly work at all!
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