I went to Haiti with no expectations - only knowing I would be working with the children (ages - newborn to around 2 1/2) in the baby house. For a little background - these children have come to GLA because their parents have died of Aids or other diseases. A father brought in a new born with some health issues. The baby was taken to the nursery where the full time nurse put her in an incubator. She will stay until she is healthy enough to go back home.
The first two mornings the volunteers were asked to help take pictures of the children in the baby house. Pictures are taken once a month to send to the Forever Families (adoptive parents who are waiting to take the children home) and notes are also sent on their progress. Our job was to bring the children to the balcony, put them in dress up clothes, and keep them entertained until their turn to be photographed, change them back into their everyday clothes, take them back to the nursery and bring another child up for the same routine. It was like playing with living dolls. This was very exhausting. We brought them up two flights of concrete stairs and back down two flights of concrete stairs.
Each volunteer was given a sheet with a picture and brief description of eight children they were to work and play with during their stay at the orphanage. We were to take each child for one hour up to the balcony where there were toys and plenty of space to run around or rock the babies. And that was a full eight hour day. I found I could easily get attached to these beautiful children.
There were 107 children at the baby house while I was there. There was one Haitian nanny per eight children. These nannies work 4 twenty-four hour days and off two. They don't leave the nursery. They sleep in the same room with the children, eat with the children, as well as changing diapers, wiping noses and caring for them as we all do our own children. They were wonderful women and I truly admired their fortitude. The journey continues.
