1st Week (letters home)

I just completed my first week working at the red cross day center (for kids with disabilities) and the red cross baby orphanage in Danang. It has been a fun, exhausting and emotional week. On Monday we were picked up by our driver and brought to the day center. We were met by a group of enthusiastic kids who escorted us though the building to the proper room. We did our good morning routine where we say "Good morning class" and they all stand up and say "good morning teachers, how are you?" and we reply, " I'm fine thank you, how are you?" and they say" fine thank you!" and sit down. It has to be done just exactly like that or they get confused. After going through what day it is and what the weather is like (always sunny and hot) we separate into three different classes. The advanced, middle and less advanced. I am the teacher for the less advance class (I don't really like calling it that but that is what the volunteers before us implemented).

After doing this on the first day we got called to a meeting to be introduced to the program director, with the use of a translator he told us that the day center started in 1997 and was a place for people with disabilities to come and be trained in embroidery or screen printing. Volunteers started to come in 2004 and that is when they were able to accept more kids into the program with more severe disabilities. There are about 26 students ranging in age from 7-22. We were showed the room where there were kids doing screen printing and told us that it was training for those who are deaf. Since I know a little sign I was asked to incorporate that in my teaching so those who are deaf can attend the classes. So now I have been working on learning Vietnamese and Vietnamese sign language. I have had many dreams lately partially in Vietnamese and sign, I just hope that means I am learning more as I sleep.

After the meeting we went on to teach our classes which are an hour long, the previous volunteers wrote up a lesson plan for all of the new comers, so on the first day we would not have to worry about having a lesson for a class we have never met. My first class went well I had 4 students out of 5.

Next we walked over to the baby orphanage (which is on the same property). The first people we saw were a bunch on English speaking people holding babies which was surprising because we were not expecting to see them. It turns out that they were all adopting 1-2 kids each. When we went inside we saw a tone of babies. There are about 20 infants. One was just dropped off a week ago and only weighed 1 kilo. There are about 13 toddlers. When we got there none of the toddlers were tied to their cribs, but I think this was because there were all the people there who were adopting which gave them the extra eyes that they needed. Since then when we come they are tied with a cloth string by their ankle or by the back of their shirts, but we are allowed to untie them. Our first day we jumped right in and got to work changing nappies (or diapers, the other volunteers all call them nappies. Which are kitchen sized towels folded up and tied with a handkerchief, so when they are wet you both feel it, I have found my pants wet after holding a baby for awhile) and playing with them. I got a real appreciation for any parent who has more than one baby at a time. I got skilled very quickly at picking up two babies at a time.

All of the kids are so adorable. They all like to be held, you can cuddle with them and they are not trying to jump out of your arms which has been my experience with many kids their age. All the babies sleep in wicker cribs with bamboo mats, many of them have funny shaped heads from laying down so often and always looking in the same direction, some are severe and some seem like a normal amount of flatness. All the toddlers sleep in steal cribs with not mattresses,pillows, blankets or crib toys. I have found that these kids can have fun with just about anything, since they do not have many toys. I have found kids chewing on a tin foil wrapper, and piece of shiny cellophane and boxes for medicines.

On the second day we were invited to Quien's house (one of the ladies who cooks for us) and I got to ride on the back of a motor bike. She then took us to the super market which was like a big one stop shopping place unlike anything we had seen in Danang so far. There Chelsea and I bought some supplies for the orphanage, we got diaper wipes, toys, and found out that diaper ointment was the hardest thing to translate. This was our top priority for our shopping trip since many of the babies had severe diaper rash. We were able to find something but not the kind with zinc in it (which is supposed to be the best). We bought quite a bit of stuff and only spent 20 US dollars. Hopefully we will be able to go back soon to get some more toys now that we have seen which ones were the most popular.

My classes have been going well and I have had a high attendance of the older boys that are deaf, even though my sign is very simple. I just now need to study fast so I have new lessons for next week. Just today a new arrived, from what I understand they are just left on the door and the "mothers" (the women who work there 24-7) never meet the moms or dads of the babies. If anyone would like to donate any money to help get some of the needed supplies you can talk with my mom. There is a way that she can deposit money into an account for me and I can use the funds to get the supplies. Since shipping costs so much I think that this is the best way of getting supplies.

I am really enjoying my self here, I few safe and welcomed and the food is delicious, I always have a meal waiting for me even before I am hungry and it always has all parts of the food pyramid. I am probably forgetting a lot of information but I will write again with more stories to tell. If you have any questions please ask.

I love you all,
Stella

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Toddler Cribs

This is where the toddlers sleep.

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