Archive for February 25, 2016

#HostingHappenings – Where Should a Child Call Home?

Interview trips are hard.

Of course it’s partly because the interview team, which usually consists of two people, spends 13+ hours a day either traveling to meet children, meeting children, or talking to caretakers about the children. The days are long, you’re cramped in a car or a train or a plane almost the entire time, and you’re meeting child after child, knowing in the back of your mind that you can’t help them all. You keep going because you can help one, or two, or as many as you can, and that’s what makes it easier.

Some days, though, you see the worst, and you wonder if you can make it better.

Today we met this little man, Mr. Sweet Smile, who is 14 years old and lives in an orphanage. He’s paralyzed from the waist down, but it was obvious that this is where his needs stopped. He said all the colors of the rainbow, he counted numbers, said hello, and could understand the basic questions we were asking – all in English. He told us in Latvian that he had taught himself Russian – his favorite book is The Jungle Book in Russian. His told us his dream is to work with computers, and if he could have just one gift, he want want a Lego set to build with the other children living there. His smile warmed his eyes and lit the room.

This is part of the building attached to the orphanage he’s living in. It’s a beautiful old building, one that was once used for orphaned babies. Now that it’s fallen into disrepair, children like him are put into a small corner of the building that still has the roof intact. He lives in one of the poorest parts of Latvia, and children like him are sent to live here until the age out and are sent either to live in an adult home of similar conditions or expected to adapt on their own.

Despite this, he was a bright boy who had not only educated himself but had kept his bright attitude. He gave us a big smile and a thumbs up when we asked for a photo. He told us he loves animals, and the small bird next to him talked to him for almost the entire interview. He had a caring heart, and his caretakers told us he helps with the other children, who all wait anxiously for visitors to come to show them that they are not forgotten, that someone does care.

This is not a place a child should have to call home. Boys his age, especially those in a wheelchair, are almost impossible to place. We left knowing that the chance of finding him a family was incredibly small…but knowing that every ounce of effort to find him that family would be worth it. We want him to know that his heart and mind matter to the world, that he won’t be left behind or forgotten because of his legs, but that he will be seen, heard, and loved for the amazing child he is.

Interview trips are hard, but the rewards are great. I move forward wondering where, if, when I will find the family that this child can call home.

-C

A note from the staff at home: If you’re interested in potentially hosting, and especially hosting an older kiddo, we’d love to hear from you! Get in touch with us to find out more by contact Shannon at shannon@gwca.org or call (512) 323-9595 ext. 3101.

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#HostingHappenings Labdien from Latvia!

Labdien (good day) from Latvia! After some bumps along the road, including a long wait in Newark, a lost bag (which had all the orphanage children’s toys in it!), and one sick member of the interview team….we made it! Ana and I are in Latvia to meet the children of the Summer 2016 program, and we couldn’t be happier…and colder. It’s a bit of a jump from the 75 degree afternoon we left in Texas to the snow flurried day here, but the children we met today were completely worth it!

Our day started off with a bang from this adorable sibling group of three. The Terrific Trio was a bundle of energy and came in the room with smiles on each of their faces. The older sister, who just turned 15 in December, has obviously had to play caretaker with her little brothers. She tried to keep them on task while they both bounced around the room, smiling and laughing. The middle brother was a treat! His English was almost perfect, and he enjoyed telling us all about himself and his siblings. Little brother was a sweetie, pushing a candle across the table for me to smell. They were a group that, despite having little, seemed happy. As we left, all three yelled, “Bye bye!” to us, and middle brother was the last to shuffle off down the hall, wearing worn and rather loved looking Ninja Turtle slippers.

They seem like a close knit bunch who would thrive given the attention they so deserve. Sibling groups like this one are quite common in Latvia, and we hope to see them hosted together. They are currently living in an orphanage, and these three children deserve the love, warmth, and stability a family can provide them. They deserve to grow up in a place where their older sister doesn’t have to be a mother to them, where they can play safely, and where they will be loved.

If you’re open to hosting a little family, please get in touch with us! You can email me at cayce@childrenofallnations.com and continue to follow our journey here on the blog to hear about some of the children we’ll meet.

PS – our bag finally made it, so tomorrow we’ll have toys for the children!

-C

A note from the staff at home: If you’re interested in potentially hosting, and especially hosting an older kiddo, we’d love to hear from you! Get in touch with us to find out more by contact Shannon at shannon@gwca.org or call (512) 323-9595 ext. 3101.

 

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Aging Out – URGENT – These Kids Need YOU

Every program, we have children who are close to “aging out,” or in China, the age at which the children will permanently lose their chance at a forever family. We work every program to try to ensure that no child reaches that age – which is the day of their 14th birthday. It’s unimaginable for us that at the age of 14, a child is now on their own, without ever having the warmth, love, and guidance that a family can bring. Pictured below, Lou, Theo, and Elena are adoptable separately, and their 14th birthday is coming up quickly. We can’t let them lose their chance.

These three children participated in our winter 2015-2016 hosting program, and we are looking for families who are ready for the joy an older kiddo can bring. Lou, Theo, and Elena all are still looking for a family to call their own, and we need a family who is READY now to bring one of them home. Families have time to do their paperwork from start to finish before these children age out of their orphanages permanently, but it will take a special family who is ready to hit the ground running. If you or someone you know has the heart for an older child, PLEASE share this post and spread the word about these children.

Please contact us to help these sweet children – contact Meredith at (512) 323-9595 ext. 3032 or email at meredith@gwca.org.

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