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SOUTH AFRICA
Last shift has been the best ever. I feel so comfortable with the kids and my team, and I've already built up relationship with the children so now I'm just continuing these friendships.
I think that's why it was so hard to hear that 2 of the kids had left, taken back by their parents. The history of the family really is tragic, but the parents don't seem in adequate condition of taking care of the 2 kids, let alone their other kids. You just feel that it's unfair, these kids are just gonna return after a few months (as is the common case) and are going to be even more psychologically damaged and emotionally torn.
There was also a visit of the parents of a kid who has alcohol fetal syndrome. The kids really energetic, but you can tell by his large head and really small feet and arms that he was malnutritioned. He's 2 years of age and when his parents visited, he was confused as to who they were. He stopped dead on his tracks but just stood staring at his parents. It's really sad. His parents definitely didn't look fit to take care of him, I think years of heavy drinking and drugs have taken their toll on them and they're past the point of no return.
It just got me thinking, quite a number of these 'orphans' have parents, they're just at the home because they're unfit to take care of a child. But even though they're not in the best condition, it must be so hard to know that your kid is 200 metres away from you, and you can't see them, hold them, or kiss them whenever you want. And to see these strangers (the volunteers who are only there for usually 1-3 months) who receive more attention from your own flesh and blood. That they get more affection and spend more time with them, it just has to be so hard.
I got a very mild case of what it feels like to be a parent. The area that the orphanage is located isn't the safest area, and so when we put out the bikes for the kids, the rules are that they stay on the one street and no farther reason being the safety of the kid and making sure the bike isn't stolen (as it has happened in the past). Well, one of the kids broke the rules and travelled out of sight, and it was only till one of the other kids told Ian and I that he's broken the rules and been out for a while. Now, knowing what the safety of the area is like, I got freaked. The kid is around 4'6" and skinny, plus, he's our responsibility rules or not. And when you build personal relationships, you do care more about that person. So I checked the streets around the block, but he was nowhere to be found. Ian came about 10 minutes later with the kid and the bike safe. It was just a small taste about worrying about your kid, but I start to realize what it's like.
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