My usual keenness to share pictures is almost ten times
stronger as I write the remaining part of the story of my visit to the
orphanage in Lima. After seeing footage from the 90’s Romanian orphanage shown
as a part of the fellow lecture series by our very dear JiSu last Friday, part
of my heart was broken to pieces but the other part still is filled with hope.
To show my hope was the reason I wanted to share some pictures. This is a
symbol that there are people who are taking care of the next generation of
humanity in some parts of the globe.
As I moved to the other sections we had already crossed the
6 month deadline (the scientific optimum for child adoption, which of course is
another topic for another blog entry for another day) and were into the section
of preschoolers. All the temperaments read in the book just unfolded ever so
gently in front of me, some kids who were warm, enthusiastic and flamboyant;
the others who took some time to give that smile of greeting; and still some who just cocooned into their
caregivers and refused to even look at me. We left this section and moved to
the older age group which I will call the early school age. They were all
helping (or should I say observing) the staff in their laundry being done and
sorted. Another magical moment happened. All the kids wanted to talk and play
with Milena. She is one of those people who get a 10/10 in emotional
intelligence. She took out a pen and drew a face on the thumb of one of the
kids. And there were all these kids lined around her like fans hunting for a
baseball player’s autograph. She bounced a pen my way and soon I was painting
the thumbs with smiley faces. All they needed was somebody to tell them that
“we care”. Milena had a way to give a part of her to all of them. Within the
next several minutes all the kids had a smiley thumb. Then some of them wanted
another one. They would hide the other thumb behind their back and come as if
it was their first time. When kids try to act smart, I am sure their parents
let them think that they are, I am not a parent myself but could think of all
the times in my childhood when my mom just let me think that way.
The next visit was to the lunch room, which if not better,
was not worse than many of our Hospitals cafeterias. We then moved onto the
dormitories (see pic with Dr. Mattuti). There was a distinct and noticeable
difference in the boys and girls section. The boys' beds were made, but as they
say the bare minimum necessary effort was put. It was a place to crash after a
day of playing with friends. Girls' beds on the other hand were made so nicely
(each of them) as if no one has ever slept in them since they were purchased.
Lot of stuffed toys, and the girl beds gave a vibe as if it was “their spot”, a
place to think, and place that reflects the personality of the person who uses
that place to occasionally sleep. Definitely not like the boys' beds which were
beds at the best, no more-no less. As we stepped out of the dorms there were
full time employed therapists and psychologists working in various capacities
with the children. Training them for the life ahead with lot of vocational
training interspersed within all the therapies. This orphanage has a cute
little hospital of its own which housed three kids the time I visited. They were
so keen to leave the hospital and go home to their dorms. PPA also boasts of a
relatively modern school within campus. Supplies like computers etc. come pouring
from all over Lima, thanks to the philanthropists.
Overall my experience at PPA did a few things: Changed a big
myth I was carrying around, Asked me a small question, and last but not the
least told me that life force may be curtailed by circumstance, but is still a
much larger force than fits into our imaginations.
Pallav
Gracias Pallav. La fuerza del corazon...
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