I've now been away from the kids at Nkoaranga Orphanage for over a month, and I honestly feel like I miss them more each day!Megan told me that Dainessi asked her, "Emma ni shuleni Uingereza" ("Is Emma at school in England?") at bedtime the other day. I was so touched that she still remembers me and I can only hope that I had a positive impact on her life.
It sounds a little clichéd, maybe, but I think its probably something a lot of volunteers worry about - whether coming into the children's lives and then leaving again does more harm than good.
When I told Emily about my concerns she made me see it differently (awesome person that she is!). I now think that what is important is that each volunteer does their bit to make their time with the children count: to try and boost the confidence of each little individual, to help them believe in themselves, to encourange them while they attempt to put their own shoes on for the first time, to pick them up and cuddle them when they fall over (or just whenever they need it!), dance with them, laugh with them....just generally let them know how much they are loved! And if everyone does that then, hopefully, the memories they have of their childhood will be a happy blur of all the support and love which so many volunteers have given them.
So that's what I hope, anyway!And on a lighter note, the picture above is of little Dainessi, feeding Miriam and giving me a toothy grin - she'd just lost her first tooth!
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