Children seem to grow up so quickly these days and this really hit home when we took the girls from the orphanage out on their twice-yearly day trip. Four of the girls whom we remember giggling like, well, girls, have blossomed into young women. They each achieved 3 A Levels last November and FODAD is now funding them to attend a nursery teaching course lasting four months which will qualify them to look after the girls in the orphanage in the short term and in other schools in the future.
For all the others, it was business as usual: sing, clap, dance and cheer for the entire 2 hour bus journey to the beach on what has been the hottest day so far; and run, scream, laugh and smile as they rush into the warm sea and enjoy the amazing feeling of freedom, if only until the next time. It is only when we visit that they ever leave the orphanage.
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Throw in some games, singing and dancing, and all the girls seemed to enjoy a blissful day out. And while the four older girls looked on, we played with three of the youngest girls, holding hands as we raced into the sea shouting at the top of our voices. The youngest is now seven, and we remember how painfully shy and traumatised she was on her first trip out just 18 months ago, perhaps still haunted by the circumstances which caused her to join the orphanage.
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| The two youngest girls, aged 7 yrs |
Those three girls seemed not to have a care in the world on Thursday but very soon they too will grow up and hopefully, be looking out for the latest intake enjoying their first day out at the beach.
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| The girls who are going to college but will stay and look after the the younger ones |
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