Talk about Amazing Parents

Every weekday, this bus picks up some 30+ kids and adults so they can be a part of Shri Guru Sankalpam.  All of the riders have some sort of mental (and sometimes physical) disability.  The amazing thing is that this "school" (quotations because it is much more than that) was started and is run by parents who donate their time and resources so that their child and others like them can have a decent life in a society that would outcast them.  This bus was donated by the State Bank of Hyderabad and is, of course, driven everyday to each home by one of the parents.

I can't even begin to tell you all of the amazing things they do there, and with very little resources.  And there is so much love from all the teachers and caregivers (almost all parents who donate their time), to all of the children not just their own.  I was in awe of their selfless service.  They teach them, they do crafts, they do occupational therapy, physical therapy, they have prayer time, and the list goes on.

Such overwhelmingly sweet spirits and joyful hearts.  So happy we got the chance to serve these children of God.

To read about HELP International's projects at the school, you can read more here or here.

HELP Story of the Month

Remember the organization I work with - HELP International? Well, here's our little PR story for this month. I don't know if this story will have he same meaning for you as it does for me, but after having worked at this orphanage several times over a few years, I feel like I have seen some of these kids grow up and it just drives it home that they really will spend their entire lives in this institution. I am so glad that we have volunteers there year-round now. I have seen the difference it makes! Enjoy this little feel good story . . .

While most newlyweds are saving up for their first house or spending money on extravagant honeymoons, just four months into their marriage Sam and Laura Webb spent their summer volunteering at Hogar del Niño, an orphanage for disabled children in El Salvador with approximately 140 residents. Not only were they not paid for their work, but they also funded their own travel and living expenses. “It was worth the money,” Sam says. “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and this was the perfect time to make that sacrifice.”

Sam and Laura spent three months living in a small house on the orphanage property, teaching classes and playing with the children. Every day was filled with planning and activities. Though the activities may seem simple, Sam and Laura put thought and effort into every activity. “The hardest and most stressful part was the planning,” Laura says. “We had to come up with new and fun activities all the time.”

They planned multiple activities each day. In the mornings they played games with children with severe disabilities, afternoons were spent teaching classes to children with only moderate disabilities and every night was play time. While working at Hogar del Niño, Sam and Laura organized talent shows, glamour shots, a trash bag fashion show, a hunt for Bigfoot and pirate day—just to name a few. At first Sam and Laura were worried about coming up with new ideas, but soon realized the children did not care if they repeated activities. They were happy to have people to play with them. As Sam and Laura soon learned, a little love and attention went a long way at Hogar del Niño. For instance, something as simple as a hand-me-down bicycle is all it takes to make the dreams of a child come true.

For Roberto, a resident of Hogar del Niño, the nuns found him a bike for his 16th birthday. Although he did not know how to ride the bike and it was pink and purple, he immediately named his it the Speed Racer 6,000 and refused to let it out of his sight. He spent all day walking his bike around the grounds. Eventually training wheels were added to his bike so he could ride. He announced to everyone before pedaling away, “Watch out, I'm going to increase my speed!”

“You'll never meet more fun kids,” Laura says. “They are well cared for, but the orphanage is understaffed so the children rarely get personal attention.”

The Hogar del Nino Orphanage in El Salvador was founded in 1986 by a Catholic priest named Padre Vito Guarato. It currently serves as a home for 138 persons with physical and mental disabilities. Residents of Hogar come as babies or young children and stay there for the rest of their lives. Unlike many orphanages in Central and South America, the Hogar is a safe, clean, and loving environment for the residents. However, the orphanage caregivers have their hands so full caring for the physical needs of the residents, that they cannot plan activities or spend time with individual children. Before HELP International partnered with Hogar, many of the residents spent all day every day sitting in their wheelchairs. For this reason, HELP International teamed up with Hogar del Niño in 2006 to send volunteers to live and serve in the orphanage.

“I gained a love for people with disabilities and more understanding of a whole different culture and had fun doing it,” Sam says.

To read more about our work at Hogar del Niño visit their blog at http://hogarproject.blogspot.com/ or click here to learn more about the program and how to get involved.

Stories from the field

Remember this post I did awhile ago describing my connection and work with HELP International? And at the end I said stay tuned for stories? Well, this one isn't a total tear-jerker, but it is a heart warmer. So as you prepare to dress up your children and allow them to go out at night filling sacks with a ridiculous amount of candy, think about the kids on the other side of the world . . .

Our work in Africa:

As 2008 HELP volunteers got to know their community in Lugazi, Uganda, they were astonished at the conditions of children with disabilities. There were almost no resources for families of these children to turn to. And, because many villagers believed that disability is caused by witch craft or sin, parents feared to seek support amongst each other. Because of this, children with disabilities were left undiagnosed, malnourished, and hidden from the community.

In partnership with a local organization called, Hope for People with Disability, HELP started a support group for 5 mothers and their children with disabilities. As these mothers began to bring their children into the community to associate with each other, families with similar circumstances were excited to join. In a few weeks the group grew to include 33 families.

Every Thursday, families would meet to learn topics from effective communication to nutrition. HELP trained local caregivers to visit families of children with disabilities. They would visit each family once a week to set goals and encourage family bonding. In accordance with the goals set and achieved by families, HELP International was able to place 3 wheelchairs, 4 walking aids, and 6 mattresses with children in the group.

Even more exciting, HELP volunteers were able to partner with a non-profit health clinic, called Cheshire Home, which treats children with disabilities. HELP volunteers coordinated with local leaders in Lugazi to arrange for Cheshire staff to visit Lugazi for a monthly outreach. Now, all of the children have been diagnosed and their families have been given instructions on how to better care for them.

A volunteer who helped head this project recounted a particularly profound experience he had with one of our group members, Sam:

"Sam suffers from hydrocephalus. He is also blind and has no ability to walk due to severe deformities in his legs. Sam is very poor and his family cannot afford a new wheelchair for him to use. Through our home visits, Sam has learned how to crawl. As a result of reaching this goal, HELP was able to provide Sam with a new wheelchair customized to his body and conditions. Now, Sam can crawl to his new wheelchair, and use the wheelchair all by himself, giving him the freedom of mobility. One thing I learned from Sam: In America, we see the wheelchair as a form of confinement, but in Africa, the wheelchair sets someone free."