My Gap Year

MSPN is the name of the childrens HIV centre where I have been working for the last three. The centre is funded by a charity called Friends of needy children nad is a small building where there is only room for 15 children. The children all saty there with one parent each and our given 24 hour care. Whent he children arrive they are malnurished and have many othe illnesses aswell. My job as a volunteer was to entertain the children throught the morning, by playing games and doing puzzels, also trying to introduce some of the older children (8-10) to English. Meanwhile the parents where given lessons (most could not read or write). In my time there I had the oppotunity to go to the dentist with 3 of the children, each had a tooth pulled out so I sat a held their hands felling a little embarresed about all of the fuss I made when I had teeth taken out compared to how peacfull they were. They didnt even have a pain killers! And the next day they were vey proud to come up and show me the gaps in their teeth!

Also while at MSPN the other volunteers and I painted the railings of the balcony to try and make the run down building look a little more presentable. While children were sleeping we would help out in the kitchen chopping up vegetabels.

On my last day they held a mini ceremonay for me, giving me a tika (well more like painted my face), a flower garland and a photo album. I was sad to leave and im going to miss the children.

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