All those countless hours we spent over the 5 months of the challenge paid off today simply when we saw the look on the children's faces when they saw us arriving at their orphanage. You could see the excitement on their faces as we walked in to their tiny orphanage, all stopping what they were doing and running over to greet us. The children, not forgetting to mention the adults, were so polite. Compared to people back home, they are so respectful and generous, it made us wonder about ourselves. As soon as we arrived, all the children came up to us and shoke our hand. Their eyes were lit up, and a smile beamed across their faces. These children have no family, hardly any material possessions, and share a room with 15 other people, yet they are the happiest children we have ever seen, because they are loved and have their faith, giving them hope for the future. Makes you appreciate what we have at home. All these feelings, and it is only the first orphanage we have visited.
Whilst at this orphanage, we were treated to a display of singing, dancing and listened to the testimonies of 3 boys and their lives so far. We had a lot to do in the day, so we couldn't spend much time there. Rick and Jilly have created a jam packed itinerary for us, as they want us to experience as much of what they do as they can.
Next up was a visit to the homes of 2 boys that go to Shallom House, an orphanage supported by Rick and Jilly, and a place we plan to visit later this week. Depak invited us into his house, and introduced us to his family. Looking around this tiny home, we only saw 2 rooms (bedroom and kitchen / toilet). You can see the kitchen below, with no tiles, a rusty stove, simple pots and pans, a dirty sink as well as a toilet tucked away in the corner. It seems crazy to have a loo in the same room as where food is prepared, but this is how these people live and have got used to living. We were warmly welcomed into their home, offering us drinks and food. Considering how little money they have, to be offered Pepsi and biscuits was a very kind gesture.
After that we briefly looked around Joseph's house. His house held 8 people in 1 room, and a small kitchen next to it. What shocked us was that there was no toilet, meaning sewage flowed outside in the street. However, there were children outside playing cricket. What struck me was that when offered a sweet (which they call 'chocolate'), one boy immediately gave it to his brother, showing how selfless they are, and just how much they love their family. I doubt that sort of generosity would happen back home in England.
After a short car journey, we found ourselves at the bottom of a Muslim village. Straight away, children and adults came out of their houses in curiosity. I had the job of handing out sweets to children, attracting everyones attention. I looked like the Pied Piper with my followers as we progressed down the street. At the top of the street was Salmon's house, which was a very dark and dingy home. At the back were buckets used for washing, shared with the neighbours. As we returned from inside the house, we saw Papa Rick interacting with the children. He is obviously very popular and likes to be around children, because that is his passion. You can see from the video (below) how much the children like him and his games, but also how happy and cheerful they all look.
Final stop of the day was at Shallom House. After everyone introduced themselves, including us, we took a tour around the orphanage, seeing where they sleep, eat, wash and play. Shallom House holds 30+ children, which all sleep in one room, the majority on the floor. Some of the stories we heard where heart wrenching. For instance, one girl's father tried killing her as a baby by pouring hot water over her. However, she survived, and is now a happy girl growing up with all her friends at Shallom House. We hope to return to Shallom House Friday, where we will be able to play and eat with the friends we made today.
