Although admittedly I did not volunteer regularly at Crystal’s due to my commitments at my other placements, I did take a trip there with fellow volunteers Danesh and Amanda. What I discovered was children who wanted to play and have fun from 7 am until bed time.
These children ranged from new borns, to children of 7 years of age. Many of these children had lost their parents due to HIV/AIDs or had simply been abandoned with nowhere else to go. However, due to the efforts of Crystal’s orphanage and the staff there, these children have a safe home in which they can receive basic needs such as food, health care, a bed to sleep in and an education. Hopefully they will grow into capable adults that will take action to change the society in which they live in.
The duties of the volunteers at Crystal’s were quite extensive. We began with making sure the children cleaned their teeth, then we showered them with a bucket (African style) and make sure they all got clean clothes to wear. After business is taken care of, the true fun and games begin. Due to it being the school holidays, the children did not have to go to class to study, meaning they could play with the volunteers all day long; doing fun activities, and playing with educational toys. The only time we had to gather them together was at meal times. I distinctly remember waiting for lunch at school as a 14-year-old boy and seeing everybody (including myself) push in the queue to get to the front to eat first. However, not a single child pushed. They all formed a straight line and waited patiently until their turn. I was impressed!
There was experience that I found difficult to deal with. After returning from my placement doing sports development, I was informed that a 1 day old baby girl had been dumped in a ‘hole in the ground toilet’ by her mother and left do die. Thanks to the baby’s cries, local people informed the police and they managed to break the concrete toilet and bring the baby to the orphanage. Hearing such things really made me realise how important education is. When I say education I do not mean the typical topics such as science and maths, but education on the respect and value for life. If we as humans had a true appreciation and respect for human life, such situations would surely not happen.