WUDDUP. Okay so I wanted to do a separate post talking just about the orphanage, hospital, and kindergarten, since that's the whole reason I'm here! Last week was a little crazy with our schedule because we were just figuring things out and getting paperwork completed before we could officially start. This week has been the first week where we've had a set schedule that will pretty much be the same throughout the semester. I know my life here in Romania may seem like it's filled with endless amounts of gelato, prancing around the Palas at all hours of the day, and going to cool places in Romania, but that's only a small part of it (shocker)!!!!!! Each place we work at is hard as well as physically and emotionally draining, but it's so worth it knowing I'm focusing all my time on charity. Volunteering at all three of these places has really opened my eyes as to how blessed I am in America. It makes me really sad now to think of how much I took advantage of the things I had back at home and how good I really have it.
I'm doing this program in Romania through the ILP, which has about 8 locations in total. The program I'm doing is a lot different from the others because the other ones focus all of their time on teaching English to kids for about 4 hours a day while we split our time between the three places.
ORPHANAGE
We are at the orphanage Monday-Friday from 9-12pm. Last Wednesday, we toured the orphanage and got to know the director, Teo, who showed us all the rooms and told us a little about the children. There are 5 different rooms: Isolation, Mickey Mouse 1, Mickey Mouse 2, Bambi 1, and Bambi 2. There are also 2 transitional apartments about 25 minutes away with about 6 kids in each apartment, and the 4 volunteers that go there will take a bus to get there. Each room varies in kids depending on age and severity on disability. Sadly, we aren't allowed to take pictures of the kids or the rooms inside the orphanage or use the exact name of any of the children.
The first day was a little hard for me. I seriously had to hold back tears so many times, and a lot of the other girls felt the same way. Pretty much all of the kids in the orphanage have disabilities of some sort, and it honestly breaks your heart to see them. There aren't enough workers in the orphanage to give every child the attention that they need, and so they often lay in their bed or wheelchair for a long time. It makes me wish that I was born with more than two arms so that I could hold and cuddle and play with each one at the same time.
The second time we went, we spent about 30 minutes in each room. This was so that we were able to get a better sense of what each room was like and help us decide which one we wanted to stay in the whole summer. I loved each room, and the kids are all soo cute, but I definitely felt that I should be in Isolation. This is the room with all of the little babies, sooo I don't think I need to explain why I wanted it haha. Since there are only 2 people in each room, on Sunday we got together as a group and decided which room everyone was assigned to. I was able to get Isolation and I love it so far!
I've been there the past week everyday (except for Monday because I was sick), but oh my gosh do I love it. There are 3 different rooms in Isolation: one for the little babies all about under 1 year, one for the toddlers, and then the third room is with the severely disabled little kids with various ages. There are about 20 kids in total in Isolation, and only about 2-3 workers there everyday. The workers there do a lot of work and are awesome, but they just don't have the time to give each child the attention and love they need. Buuuuut that's where I come in! Most of the babies have some sort of disability, ranging from heart problems to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome to a growth defect, but that definitely doesn't make any of them less cute because ooooh myyyy goooosh they are adorable.
It seriously makes me so happy when I pick up a baby and they just burst out in the HAPPIEST little smile and giggle the whole time. But at the same time it breaks my heart because it just shows how little they are held and how little of attention they are given, and almost all of the kids in there aren't taken out of their rooms or allowed to just crawl around. But just know that I love each and everyone of those kids in there, and the end of this semester will honestly break my heart to a million pieces.
KINDERGARTEN
Okay so as much as the orphanage is making me baby hungry, the kindergarten makes me want to take birth control for the rest of my life. haha so it's a nice balance! So I'm at the kindergarten from 4-5:30 on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. There are 2 floors and each floor has 2 sets about 5-6 kids. We teach 25 minute lessons to 3/4 groups, and the type of lesson you teach depends on the subject you are assigned for the day. This is the second semester these kids have been taught English lessons, sooooo let's just say they're getting used to it. I just never knew a small group of 6 year olds could hold the power in their small little bodies to make you want to sit in a corner and cry. Amazing!!! Haha well not all of the kids are like that, and they're sloowly getting better each time. BUT, I will say that is cool to know that I have this opportunity to teach kids a whole new language. Just please say a lil prayer for me because teaching 6 year olds is definitely not my calling in life haha.
HOSPITAL
I've been there the past week everyday (except for Monday because I was sick), but oh my gosh do I love it. There are 3 different rooms in Isolation: one for the little babies all about under 1 year, one for the toddlers, and then the third room is with the severely disabled little kids with various ages. There are about 20 kids in total in Isolation, and only about 2-3 workers there everyday. The workers there do a lot of work and are awesome, but they just don't have the time to give each child the attention and love they need. Buuuuut that's where I come in! Most of the babies have some sort of disability, ranging from heart problems to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome to a growth defect, but that definitely doesn't make any of them less cute because ooooh myyyy goooosh they are adorable.
It seriously makes me so happy when I pick up a baby and they just burst out in the HAPPIEST little smile and giggle the whole time. But at the same time it breaks my heart because it just shows how little they are held and how little of attention they are given, and almost all of the kids in there aren't taken out of their rooms or allowed to just crawl around. But just know that I love each and everyone of those kids in there, and the end of this semester will honestly break my heart to a million pieces.
KINDERGARTEN
Okay so as much as the orphanage is making me baby hungry, the kindergarten makes me want to take birth control for the rest of my life. haha so it's a nice balance! So I'm at the kindergarten from 4-5:30 on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. There are 2 floors and each floor has 2 sets about 5-6 kids. We teach 25 minute lessons to 3/4 groups, and the type of lesson you teach depends on the subject you are assigned for the day. This is the second semester these kids have been taught English lessons, sooooo let's just say they're getting used to it. I just never knew a small group of 6 year olds could hold the power in their small little bodies to make you want to sit in a corner and cry. Amazing!!! Haha well not all of the kids are like that, and they're sloowly getting better each time. BUT, I will say that is cool to know that I have this opportunity to teach kids a whole new language. Just please say a lil prayer for me because teaching 6 year olds is definitely not my calling in life haha.
HOSPITAL
I'm at the hospital the other days I'm not at the kindergarten, so Tuesday and Friday from 2-4pm. It takes us about 30 minutes to get there, and the hospital is... a little worn down haha. It's interesting to see the huge difference between children hospitals in America and here, seriously be so grateful for the healthcare we have in America. Each room has multiple beds in it and there are windows that connect all of the rooms, so there isn't any privacy. We change into scrubs and different shoes, and then go to each floor and ask the nurses "Aveti copii fara mama?" This basically means "are there kids without mothers?" When there is a child without any family there, we usually just go in and play with them or try and comfort them depending on how healthy they are. It's sad to see these sick kids in a state of great discomfort and with nobody familiar around. I can't even imagine, so I'm glad the hospital is one of the places we are able to go so that we can help them as much as we can. I've only been to the hospital twice so far, so I'll have more to talk about later on in the semester!
I was on my way home from the hospital today with one of the girls Sydney, and we were talking about this whole experience. Yes it's sometimes really hard, hot, and heartbreaking to see what these precious kids have to go through, BUT this is an experience that we will never ever forget. I'm excited to see the progress I will have made as a person and where my testimony will be at the end of the summer because I've definitely already seen a difference in myself and it's only the beginning. Doing hard things is where you grow the most! Okeeeee talk to you soon!
Kara
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