Already our second week has passed. The children are now into the routine of school again and we too are getting into our routine and our schedule is filling up. At a very useful meeting with the other volunteers we have established who is doing which activities and found niches for ourselves to be useful.
An activity that is particularly valuable is quaintly termed “individual moments”, which are actually hour long, individual sessions with the babies and pre-schoolers. The staff are wonderful with the children and the each child. So volunteers take children for one-on-one sessions, playing games, cuddling and simply giving each child a time of undivided attention away from the childcare centre. Naturally there was some apprehension when we appeared for the first time and the children where a bit tentative. However we must have done something right as on the second day the children we had taken out the previous day all clambered around us, wanting to go out again!
The activities we do depends on the age of the child, their abilities and interests. One delightfully bright and active girl who loves to laugh and dance, steadfastly refuses to throw, catch or fetch a ball. Her day was made watching Gil try to get her to dance, she literally rolled on the floor with laughter at his attempts to dance. Even something as simple as visiting the chicken run is fun for these children. Spending time with the children on an individual basis allows us to make observations about their interests and abilities, and these are entered into a log book so progress can be monitored.
We eat our main meal of the day with the children. The food is simple, huge qualities of rice with either meat or vegetable stew. Sometimes fish or sausage is served. It is always tasty and often followed by fruit and a traditional hot drink, made from the residue of cooked rice, actually quite tasty.
The caring atmosphere here is quite outstanding.
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