"Farewell to you, farewell to you. Our happy days are coming to an end!"
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Heartbroken - I cry, when you cry
Where I work we have both an orphanage/boarding house and a school. I spend my days at the school often teaching or planning lessons with teachers. During the summer a volunteer group called Cross Cultural Solutions sends volunteers to help in our classrooms. This year we are receiving mostly teen volunteers. They spend 2 weeks here, and as you can imagine the kids and the teen volunteers bond very quickly. Last Friday, the first big group of teens left for home. It was a very hard day for everyone and many tears were shed. Many of the kids cried when the teens drove away for the last time. It was really hard for me to see, and honestly made me tear up as well. I recognized in that moment, how hard it can be to host short term volunteers. I still think there is a benefit to it, but for many it was a very sad day. I am still not used to seeing the kids here cry. Suffering at times is a part of life in the developing world, and I knew that fully coming into this experience, but to see a child genuinely hurt by an experience never gets easier to stomach. I always say the hard days for the kids are the longest for me, but I just remind myself then - The days that are longer, make me stronger!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
As I read this it reminded me of Girl Scout Camp, many of the children would come from broken homes, or homes with a major amount of dysfunction. So there were times that the children would cry when they left because for one week they had unconditional love and attention. As a an adult that looks back on my childhood that was a bit dysfunctional at times, I loved going to camp because it gave me some normality, but was sad to leave everyone I had made friends with, but as an adult I look back on that experience with a smile and warm thoughts. Even though your children were sad, hopefully they will look back on the experiences with a smile, and what they learn about the world beyond Ghana, may encourage them to continue to be strong, and go to college and some day move on to bigger things or return to their country to help there families and countrymen have a better life.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I think your amazing girly, and if you or the children need anything please let me know. My Kiwanis group might be able to help!
ReplyDeleteTheresa! This post is so sweet but sad. I was one of those volunteers that left last Friday. Please tell the kids that we miss them and that we are thinking about them! Hope you all are doing good! - Katie R.
ReplyDeleteThanks Katie! The kids loved looking at your pictures on facebook. Know that you have made a significant and permanent impact on them. Hope you are happily enjoying the rest of your summer at home and we all hope we'll see you again in Ghana someday!
ReplyDeleteThank you for showing them my photos! And tell them that they all made a significant and permanent impact on our lives as well. And when I have the money/opportunity to come back I won't hesitate!
ReplyDelete