Orphanage

---

Also on the grounds of the health center is an orphanage. They currently have 12 children, 6 boys and 6 girls, and they are adorable…and tragic. There were two girls in kindergarten and they were probably the cutest. One of them, Edaly, was very outgoing. I went down to the orphanage with one of the Americans for coffee. We then started playing around with the kids and I showed them how to put their hands together, fold over their middle fingers, and rotate their hands so that their middle fingers could wiggle from their palms. Edaly couldn’t quite get the hang of it, so I would place her hands in the right position for her, and then she would run around showing everyone. I can also make a popping sound by placing my right pointer finger in the groove between my left pointer and middle finger and use my chin to create a small air pocket. She was enthralled with that as well.

We helped teach them their English lesson, which happens once a week. They danced for us and played games. Edaly lost a shoe and we played keep away with it. She then took my shoe and we played keep away. All of the kids were so good with each other, they really were a large family.

Most of the kids were healthy orphans but one girl had epilepsy and some mental retardation. She had fallen into a fire and had some burn scars. Many people believe epilepsy is a sign of the devil or evil possession. Her family was taking her to a river to drown her before she was saved by the orphanage. Another child with epilepsy was left at the orphanage and a few days later someone drove up and told her, “your parents are dead,” and left. Her parents aren’t dead, they just didn’t want to have an epileptic child.

---