Next to the daily routine here I received a letter from my friend in Bolivia. Every day we find ourselves in situations were you don’t know what to do and just feel sad. In times like these we forget that there is always somebody out there who actually needs help.
In everyone’s heart there is a drive that makes us take care of a stray animal or support a family who has lost their home. Everyone is motivated by the same force that directs us to situations where we can feel firsthand what love is. I am going to share a small part of Annika’s letter which erased all worries from my heart (lice in children’s hair, everyday disappointment because of endless empty promises, etc.) and gave me a sense of gratitude.
MERLE
Orphanage in Bolivian jungle
The place where I am at is an orphanage Familia Feliz which is the home for more than 40 children. We are located 13 km outside the city in the jungle where there is no cell phone reception, not to mention internet, and at the moment there is no electricity either.
Because of the floods a 6-year old girl has been sent here, in addition to three boys. They call her Janet but I don’t know her real name. She is very small for her age and mentally about at a level of a one-year old: she doesn’t know how to talk or how to walk. Apparently she has some kind of disability since she cannot stand on her own feet and hence walks on all fours. Someone found Janet from a dumpster two years ago and like that she has made her way here. She is very cute. I have been taking care of her for the past couple of days, changing her nappy, clothing her, holding her in my lap, feeding her with a spoon and just talking and playing with her, though she doesn’t respond much. I have never had any experience with children like this before.
The whole orphanage runs on the work of volunteers which means nobody here gets paid for this. Most are here for a year or two but there are people for shorter periods like me. This home was founded nine years ago by a Canadian lady Melissa who just moved back to Canada a few months ago and had by this time adopted ten kids from Bolivia who were all of different age. By the way, she is not even married! Completely alone, a mother of ten – this I haven’t seen before either.
