On Friday afternoon a small group of the South Africa 7 team spent some time at a local orphanage here in Polokwane. The Samritan Home is partly govt funded and looks after abandoned children up to the age of 18. These kids are the victims of AIDS, abuse and abandoment and some are very ill with full-blown AIDS, have HIV, are mentally disabled or both in some cases. The govt takes care of basic schooling and some accommodation, but unfortunately it does not pay for the prescription drugs these kids need, nor the specialist care & education some require. The home relies on volunteers & donations as the major source of income.
These children have been left to fend for themselves and do not know what it is to have a safe home and the love of a family. We thought long & hard about what we wanted to achieve with The Samirtan and decided in the first instance that we should simply use this as an opportunity to give these children some attention and let them feel like a carefree kid for at least one afternoon.
We took along with us some afternoon tea packed with good old fashioned junk food - the stuff kids love. On a more practical note we also took some school supplies, coloured pencils, a globe, some soccer balls and some clothes. I've also been helping them put together content for a website which they can use to source volunteers and raise funds.
When we first showed up the children were very shy and withdrawn, but it didn't take long for them to warm up - expect it was the sugar kicking in as they don't get treats very often. It turned out to be an afternoon of beaming smiles, lots of giggles and VERY sticky fingers........ (Note: there is a maximum of 4 lollipops that can be stuffed into a small child's mouth at any given moment......)
Funnily enough I believe it was us IBMers who got the most out of interacting with these kids. It was a lesson in keeping a perspective on the lives we are lucky enough to lead back home and the importance of never taking anything for granted. It also really highlighted the importance of programs such as the IBM Corporate Services Corps and the opportunities it offers local communities in struggling economies.
The photos are worth a thousand of my words.........
These little girls are 6 & 5 respectively. They were abandoned and have HIV
With the live-in managers of the Samritan - who the kids call Ma & Pa
Playing with the new soccer ball
They were all fascinated by the blonde hair - particularly the little girls
Once they warmed to you they hung on like limpets! I was surprised at how instantly warm & affectionate these kids were.
The bedrooms are small and sleep about 8 - so the facilities are very basic.
Finding Australia on the Globe we donated..... They ALL knew where it was
This little guy (Mtabe) was infected by his mother and abandoned when he was just 2. He now has full-blown AIDS and is hearing-impaired. He wanted one of the Koalas I'd brought along and wanted me to wear his crown.
Rudi (one of the IBMers) playing for the kids. They had beautiful voices and all LOVE singing so. The little boy in yellow was facinated by the blonde hair on Rudi's arm.
