Visiting the orphanage opened my eyes to the many needs the orphanage has and also to the challenges and barriers those willing to help may face in trying to provide for some of those needs. There were many physical needs that were obvious at the institution. Items like food, diapers, clothes, bedding, high chairs, and the things required to clean each of these items like dish and laundry detergent. Upon arriving I was informed by the medical professionals that have been in the orphanage many times, that on that day the staff would be on their best behavior and the kids would be receiving better care than usual, due to foreigners being present. As we unloaded a gift of diapers and baby formula I overheard it being said that this particular site had been without running water, heat or electricity previously and that luckily the new director had been allowing more meals and slightly better nutrition for the children to be fed and had very recently installed running water. I don’t think I can possibly convey the multitude of slight and great deficiencies that this institution displayed. There were obvious physical needs like supplies and man power, there were symptoms of systemic breakdowns that were obvious in the relationships of director to employees, and there was a lack of knowledge mostly medical but sadly some that every caregiver should be equipped with.
In the few hours I was there I saw a young boy about 6 years old being spoon fed an oatmeal like substance. The boy who most likely had cerebral palsy, was lying on the floor on a mat about a half inch thick. A common symptom of cerebral palsy is poor ability if not total inability to chew and swallow; this fact did not stop the caregiver from leaving the boy on his back for the entire feeding. Having the staff trained in certain aspects of caring for the common disabilities seen in the orphanage would better equip them to carry out daily routines in a way that is preventing further harm rather than risking further harm to the children. Sometime during our few hours together I overheard someone say that this boy had been at the orphanage for 6 months and during that time his teeth had never been brushed. Looking into his mouth I could see that many of his teeth were worn down and discolored with rot and his front teeth were jagged leaving his lips and gums bloody. While oral hygiene needed to be addressed in this case matters were only made worse by the caregiver feeding him with a metal spoon and audibly dragging it against his teeth during the feeding. This same child seemed to be suffering from physical pain in his lower half that could have been concentrated in his lower back or hip area and in the short visit it could not be determined whether the cause was muscular or skeletal. This particular child needed an x-ray and further medical treatment for an issue that was probably caused by lack of assisted physical movement through full range of motion in the limbs.
For this one little boy I would think his quality of life would be greatly improved with simple additions to his daily life like a better quality bed, a tooth brush and food that gave his body the nutrients it was starved for. A feeding chair that helped stabilize an upright position for meals. Plastic spoons that are less painful on sensitive teeth. The more difficult things this boy needed were an x-ray and medical attention to not just his disability but also his mouth and the source of additional pain and discomfort. This child needs someone to manually carry his limbs through their full range of motion to fight against many discomforting muscular issues present in cerebral palsy but mainly to prevent joint fusion in the bones. This type of therapy would be required daily and the person doing it would need to have at the very least some understanding of anatomy, flexibility and range of motion in children with cerebral palsy.
The need at this orphanage unfortunately is not simply for things. The greatest need seems to rest on the staff there. They need training and leadership. Even if the building became supplied with all the best equipment it would mean nothing without caregivers who were trained and willing to do their job. By imparting knowledge onto the caretakers there I think it could possibly help prevent them from continuing dangerous practices like snipping the bottle nipples to increase flow during feeding, because they would know the reasoning of why not to. There are many things I would like to see change at this institution, yet I can’t help but imagine the burdens of the caretakers in the orphanage. The women there are faced with the physical exhaustion and emotional weariness that a hopeless place creates. I would like to see these women invested in with respect and knowledge, if they believe their roles as caretakers are important then perhaps they would then treat the children with more attention to care because they had not only been trained in how to do so but had also taken pride in the hard work they do every day.
I could only imagine the way things in this institution would change if every caretaker were a Christian who believed every soul was made in the image of God and deserved the love and care that a normal functioning child would receive. This trip to the orphanage we were able to leave with a little girl and a little boy who are both receiving medical care they desperately needed and are being loved on by the international and local Christian community. The picture above is the little girl. In the recent weeks we have found that this little one actually has epilepsy rather than cerebral palsy and we are praying that it is a form of epilepsy that is treatable at some level. Please be praying in this with us and for the Orphans in the world.