On 20th May, our batch of Year 8 and 9 students visited the Sainte Rita Orphanage. It was a short route to the orphanage, where we met the head-nun. As we untied our shoes, we introduced ourselves to the head-nun. She guided us along with our class teacher towards the sleeping babies, opening their eyes like blooming flowers and staring at their new guests. We admired their cute looks that we interpreted as ‘welcome’ to us. A few of them were waiting to be picked up and have a look at us from above; there were many hilarious reasons for their cries. I observed their slow moves, trying to call me, until something very horrifying and unusual caught my eye. One of the little toddlers was sleeping away from all the admirations, and the little one did not have any arms or limbs. I felt the strongest sense of sorrow for the toddler, but also a sense of pride and hope, that if this little baby can survive, then anything is possible.

 

We left the babies to rest and strolled around, when a few caretakers and youngsters began to sing a welcome song in French. Their sweet voices charmed us, along with their hearty smiles. We stayed at the orphanage for a short period of time, but I realised something – how blessed we are to have parents! As I bid the head-nun and the caretakers god bye, I left with the thought that someday I will definitely try to bring about a change in their lives.

By: Ishan Bhowmik, Year 8

 

 

On Wednesday, 20th of May we went to the Sainte Rita Orphanage. My class of Years 8 and 9 and I went there with the things we had bought with the money raised at the school fair on the 21st of March.

An orphanage visit can be a beneficial experience, providing a link to personal history and a grounded understanding of one’s life circumstances. It can also be an unpleasant or even traumatizing experience, filled with anxiety and shock over what abandonment and institutionalization really mean.

After arriving there, we had to wait for about 15 minutes because it was their cleaning day and the inside’s ground was a bit wet. While waiting, we were talking about the previous time we had come to the orphanage. When they finally finished cleaning, we went in and met the head-nun who comes from Burkina Faso.

Inside, we saw some poor babies without hands and a little baby without legs. We really felt sorry for those poor little kids who were thrown away like that. We then went to see the older ones who weren’t yet ready to go to school. They sang a song for us and we saw that poor baby with no knees. He couldn’t walk. He could only sit down. The sister told us that those kids couldn’t live in the new building they built because it has a lot of problems; they had to break it again and rearrange it.

After that we went back in the bus and Mrs. Tobi gave us that long speech that we should be thankful for what we have while going back to school.

By: Cornelio Kedowide, Year 9