THE REGIONAL BOARDING SCHOOL ORPHANAGE
Approximately 200 children live here and attend school here. (Grades 1 through 11---there is no 12th grade.)Because the children at the Regional Orphanage were at summer camp, we only briefly visited the Regional Orphanage. One day on the way to camp, we stopped by the orphanage to drop off a donation of medical supplies we had brought from MedShare International. We went in the entrance and down the corridor to the office, met some of the office staff and then took the supplies across the hall to the orphanage medical post. While the children were at camp renovations were being done to the rest of the orphanage so we did not get to see any more of the orphanage on this trip.
POLUDINO
POLUDINO
This is the orphanage for pre-school age children from about 4 – 7 years of age. The children here are divided by age into six groups. Yuri, the director was on vacation. The staff we met was very kind and remembered our son.
After our tour of the orphanage, we went out on the playground where the children were. Our son remembered and spoke with some of the younger children who also remembered him.
After our tour of the orphanage, we went out on the playground where the children were. Our son remembered and spoke with some of the younger children who also remembered him.
Yes, this was July 2003. The temperature had dropped from around 90 F to 75 F this day.
So the children were bundled up accordingly!
The Baby HouseThis is for children up to about 3 or 4 years of age.
This orphanage, as well as Poludino, and what little we had seen of the Regional Orphanage impressed us with its cleanliness, kind staff, and how well it was run.
Our son had very few memories of this orphanage, because he had been so young at the time he lived there. The staff, however, remembered him.
Baby House Caregiver, Dr. Rima (Director), and Our SonIMPRESSIONS:
Visiting the three orphanages and seeing approximately 300 orphans was a life-changing experience. Overall, these three orphanages were so much nicer than we had expected, and the staff we had met seemed genuinely caring and kind. It was touching and meant a lot to us to get a glimpse of our son’s past and to thank some of the people who had been a part of it.
Initially, I thought that seeing the babies would be the most difficult part for me. However that was not the case. It was seeing the many older children that affected me the most. I had no idea there were so many “older” orphans. I did know that their chances of being adopted were much less than the babies and toddlers. In the past, I had read some articles about the number of orphans in the world; but at that point in time, that was all it was---a number on a page. Now, some of these “numbers” had names, faces, and personalities. Some were my son’s friends and were becoming my friends too!
Visiting the three orphanages and seeing approximately 300 orphans was a life-changing experience. Overall, these three orphanages were so much nicer than we had expected, and the staff we had met seemed genuinely caring and kind. It was touching and meant a lot to us to get a glimpse of our son’s past and to thank some of the people who had been a part of it.
Initially, I thought that seeing the babies would be the most difficult part for me. However that was not the case. It was seeing the many older children that affected me the most. I had no idea there were so many “older” orphans. I did know that their chances of being adopted were much less than the babies and toddlers. In the past, I had read some articles about the number of orphans in the world; but at that point in time, that was all it was---a number on a page. Now, some of these “numbers” had names, faces, and personalities. Some were my son’s friends and were becoming my friends too!
To be continued....
Apryl
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