Our First Afternoon at the Public Orphanage in Sophia

After a morning in the garden climbing trees and talking with our friends at the Palms, we went out to Sophia to visit the public orphanage. It was definitely a little different than the other orphanages we've visited so far. For starters, it only receives funding from the government, and not from private donors. As a result, the facilities were a little more run down with more kids packed into a smaller space than the other places we've been. We were also informed upon arrival that, unfortunately, we were not allowed to take ANY photographs. 

However, the kids were still just as playful as the Bosco boys or the young ladies from Mahaica. Before we even got out of the van, they were at the windows with calls of "Sir, sir!" and "Miss, miss!" The children (both boys and girls) ranged from ages 2-17. After high fives and fist bumps were exchanged, we split up to divide and conquer; some of us went upstairs to get our hair braided while others went outside to learn how to play cricket. Dylan and Max headed up a game of basketball while John and Andrew engaged in a game involving a circle of children, a soccer ball, and bursts of playful jeers. 

When it was time to go, we had to ward off a few rascals that tried to stow away in our van. After a hot, sticky, and stinky ride back to Barrack Street with Chubby, we got ourselves cleaned up because we've got dinner guests tonight! 

Monica, Catie, and Juan are here in Guyana with the Mercy Volunteer Corps. We keep talking about how it seems as if our six days in Guyana have felt more like six weeks, but Monica, Catie, and Juan have been here for ten months!! They've been working at Mercy Hospital and at Bosco doing social work and teaching.

Now that I've spent a substantial amount of time sitting in a corner, typing away on the iPad, I think I ought to go be a better host and enjoy the wonderful meal Anthony has prepared. Until next time, remember to shake the bug spray and apply liberally!

-Sam

Palms and the Garden

I can't believe we are already on day six! Like usual we woke up to the beautiful sun and an amazing breakfast. After a few fun filled card games we all filled our water bottles and piled into the bus for our second visit to the Palms geriatric unit. Unfortunately our visit didn't go as planned. We pulled into the compound and were told to leave quite quickly. We were told that we had to obey by visiting hours, which we have never had to do before. The frustration level with the institution was clearly rising. Sadly many of the nurses feel as though we are there to assess them and the level of care they give the residents, when are really there to provide company and conversation. 

While we waited for the appropriate visiting time, we ventured to the Promenade Gardens. It was beautiful site with such vibrant colors. Anthony kindly showed us around and told us all about the history of the garden as well as the background on some of the amazing trees. We quickly discovered that Reon is a monkey as he swiftly climbed any and everything. It was certainly entertaining! Then we found a massive tree that we could all easily fit into and a few brave souls climbed high into the tree. After about an hour of exploring the garden we headed back to the Palms. We brought donations this time including soup, shampoo and conditioner, and some clothes. We all split up and handed out the supplies. This was nice because we got to interact with many different residents who welcomed the donations, so thank you to all who donated to the trip!

I find the Palms bring out a mix of emotions. It's hard to see the conditions and see the loneliness these residents face. Many of them do not get visitors even if they have family near by. And it is hard for me not to pass judgement on some of the nurses who seem to have very little interest in the residents. I try to remind myself of their life too and the struggles they may have to overcome, but it is still challenging. However, there are the good moments as well. When I hear a women happily singing to Karen, or another women smiling as she tells us about her son, or when I talk to most of the women and realize they are extremely giving despite the fact they don't have much, those moments help me get through the more difficult ones. 

This afternoon we are headed to a public orphanage, which will be a different experience then the private orphanages we have already visited. I'm excited to meet new kids and see what they have in store for us! But for now after a tiring morning it's nap time. 

Love,

Casey

A Visit to Mahaica Girls Orphanage

The wonderful vibes from this morning carried into the afternoon, and so did the sun and heat! This afternoon we made the trek out to the Mahaica Girls Orphanage, which mostly houses girls and teenagers who were previously living in situations of physical or sexual abuse. The Guyanese government recently spent a lot of time and money fixing up the building, making it one of the nicest institutions we have visited thus far. The girls gave us a warm welcome! First, we sat and chatted with them for a bit. Then, the party moved outside. Everyone loved the coloring books, crayons and puzzles we brought. In my opinon, the best part of the afternoon was the kickball game! Even though my team lost, it was a great way for us to get to know the girls and for everyone to have a little fun. Before we left some of the girls showed us their cool dance moves,it seems that everyone felt like dancing today. A couple members of our group were able to cross the street and have a short visit with our friends John and Elvis from the Mahaica leprosy hospital before we got on the road. We serenaded our driver, Chubby, all the way back home to Barrack Street--no wonder he wanted to get home so quickly! 

Cannot believe the sun has set on day five of our stay here in Georgetown. Another delicious meal prepared by our wonderful host, Anthony, will be ready soon so it's time for me to go, stay tuned to read more about our activities tomorrow! 

Love, 

Ibby

A life worth living

Hello Everyone, 

It is yet another beautiful day in Guyana.  Currently the group has some down time and we are all either napping, reading, or sunbathing. This morning we travelled to the convalescent home where we spent a few hours providing infants,toddlers, and disabled children with some well-deserved attention. They were all so cute and well-behaved, but it was difficult being there and understanding that these children didn't have the kind of smothering affection we had received as children. 

Today was particularly difficult for me because Ibby, Danika, and I went and played with an 8-year-old who was mentally handicapped. He was alone in a room without anything to play with and his caretakers said that he liked to be alone. Shortly after joining him and playing some music, we realized how happy he was to have us around.  We danced and danced with him and he had the biggest smile.  It was phenomenal to be able to make him so cheerful. 

 Another child, Kevin, joined him and the first thing he did was hug me. I was warned that he was a biter and I became frightened he would really chomp down on me if I wasn't careful, but again, found this to be slightly incorrect. All he wanted was to be hugged and held and to look out the window. He seemed to really be enjoying himself, as was I, although by this point I was drenched in sweat and wishing for another fan in the room. 

All too soon, it was time to go, and Kevin and David stood in front of the door to block us from leaving. His distress was very painful to watch, and my guilt for leaving him was overwhelming. I just fear that, more often than not, he is left staring out that window watching the world go by. It is not my place to judge the kind of care that he is receiving because my time here is so limited, but it is definitely challenging. 

The Guyanese agencies that care for these individuals are still a little behind in their conceptions of the developmentally-disabled, and I know that until recently in the USA we acted in similar ways, so it is unfair to hold them to a higher standard. By most standards, Kevin and David were well-fed, clean,and clothed.  But is that enough?  From our classes at night, the group must consider whether a person deserves more than what is offered to them in the way of rights.  Love cannot be provided through a law; it must be given by  the surrounding communities. 

The question is really what makes a life worth living.  Do we owe it to Others to do more than simply respect their rights? ...My answer is yes, but I'll be damned if I know how to make that happen. 

Alright, the group is being roused for the next site---I hope this blog post was interesting enough, and just know that everyone here is having their bodies as well as their minds and souls nourished.

All the best, 

Amanda

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

      It's the morning of Day 4, we had another amazing breakfast this morning. As little Allan was getting ready for school, we were all getting ready to head to the Convalescent home. I foresee another long, exciting day!

     I was so sleepy last night and had too little energy to be able to find the words to describe our experience. But...you're in luck this morning because I am reenergized and ready to help y'all get the chance to live vicariously through these words. Here goes nothing...

     So after the profound Palms experience, we engaged in a reflection about our experiences. We then had a delicious lunch with all our hosts and prepared for our next adventure to a private orphanage in East Rumveldt. One could instantly see the difference between this orphanage in comparison to St. John's Bosco boys orphanage or St. Anne's girls orphanage. Everything was different...down to the surroundings. It was emotionally challenging but simultaneously touching. We brought some things to do with the children when we got there, such as jump ropes, puzzles, and a soccer ball. We had so much fun!

     Then we hopped back in the bus with Chubby and talked and danced the whole drive home. When we got back some members of our group decided to go to St. Theresa Catholic Church to experience a Guyanese church service. The priest spoke of breaking down boundaries and accepting people. This related a lot to what we are attempting to do. He also spoke about the Bosco boys which directly connects to us. 

     Anthony had prepared chicken alfredo and LORD it smelled delicious!! But as we waited for the group to return, Angie and I were able to spend some quality time with Anthony in the kitchen. We got to learn a lot more about his personal life and his childhood. And everyday he proves how much of a caring, generous, loving family man he is. He wants nothing more than to give back to his community, the people who have helped him, and his country, Guyana. We ate together and then spoke about an article that we were required to read prior to the trip. After that, we sorted the donations with Andrea (Anthony's wife. She's beautiful! My official Guyanese mom haha!). We played random singing games together so we could belt any tunes that came to our heads and we eventually split up; ladies vs. gentlemen. The ladies won...of course! And around 1:30AM the rest of us headed up to bed. The end to another great day!!! 

MORNING Y'ALL!!

Alexis --'14

palms

So far the trip has been amazing. The food, the people, the culture, and everything else is great. Today however was pretty hard. We visited the folks at the Palms which is the government run geriatric home in Georgetown. With 218 patients and only 25 nurses per shift it was hard to even fathom how this could even work. We broke up to meet and chat with the people, all the time seeing one heart breaking scenario after another. While it was hard to see the conditions and listen to some of the stories I met some great people. One man told me about his life on the east coast diving for jewels while another shared my love for pancakes. The final guy I talked with was named Michael Lambert and was an intense and amazing guy. He wanted to teach me about spirituality and the need for self understanding. While it was hard to understand him at times we both swapped addresses to write letters. While we all left with a feeling of sadness the experience showed us some of the hardships of our trip and that while it may be a tough pill to swallow at times just talking with these people may make a big difference for both us and them. I can't wait to go back and continue with our trip and see all it has to offer. While the trip has had some tough situations we have had so much fun. From Anthony dooping us all in my new favorite game "Mafia" to Chubby the bus drivers gift of falling asleep at any time we have all shared great memories. We have all become fast friends both within the SMC group and our friends here in Georgetown. I got to experience fresh mango today and might be addicted. To all those back home I miss and love you and can't wait to share my experience.

Cheers, Andrew

A few pictures from this morning