Update

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Hello,

I have been relatively busy this week- helping at the orphanage 9.30-1 then at the school 3-5. Whilst at the orphanage I have been trying to entertain the babies, change them and help to feed the toddlers. This sounds simple enough but to be honest i have found it exhausting! Lunch is usually reversed so that the giggling children try to feed me their food and the spoons often become phones as they all shout at eachother! I have to admit that i find it quite amusing, but i can understand how it isn´t for the staff who are on the receiving end each day. I sometimes find it hard to maintain a good level of enthusiasm after a couple of hours, but it doesn´t take much from me whilst i think that it makes a big difference to the children. Making them smile or laugh is very rewarding, but after this experience i can definitely say that i don´t want any children of my own for a good few years! (Mum and Dad- breathe a sigh of relief)!

The school has been much busier over the past few days with 19 children attending. Although the ´lesson´officially starts at 3pm the children arrive anytime between 3pm and 4pm. We are supposed to shut the doors at 4pm, but I usually still let the children in. I find it very difficult to turn them away, especially when their reasoning for being late is that they have been helping with their parents work. As well as teaching english to the children, i am also managing to pick up some basic Spanish... although my pronunciation often sends the children into hysterics.

Yesterday it began to rain heavily once the school had finished and the children showed themselves to be extremely considerate. Despite the fact that they were going back to homes without running water, carrying and looking after siblings as young as 1 on their backs and wearing the same clothes for the 5th consecutive day, they were more concerned that i would get cold on the way home and offered me towels to wrap myself up in! The people in this area live in a very close community and everyone has to pull their weight all the time for it to work. The children may not be intellectually up to the expected standard, but their life skills demonstrate impressive maturity.

I´ve got to go now .. But on Monday there is another volunteer coming from Canada, i think she is 26 and she will be staying in the same house as me which will be good company!

I am having a brilliant time but missing my friends and family very much. xXx

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