When we first arrived we were told a list of things that we were possibly going to be involved in. One of the things that I was most interested in was working at the Crisis Nursery. I knew in my heart that it would be something I could do everyday without a break!
When the day came that we were finally able to go I was so excited! We arrived and the nannies and nurses were running around very busy. They were in the middle of giving immunizations and so we were told to wait for a while. Then the nurse came out with the first baby and handed her to me. Her name is Fifi. Her brother came out next and was handed to Hanna, his name is Shown. They are twins and the oldest of the children at the Crisis Nursery. They just stared at us like they didn’t know what to think. Mary, a volunteer with Ministries of Hope, arrived a little while later and told us what to expect while volunteering there. We went into the play room and many babies were out sitting on the mats waiting for us. My expectations were that we were going to see babies hooked up to machines or sick in their cribs, but these babies were full of life and joy. Two of the little ones, Joe and Junior, had so much personality and captured the hearts of all of us. Very small babies were brought in and you could tell that they were just hanging on, but there is definitely a will to live in these kids. Some of the stories were heart breaking. One child was left in a field and a dog found it and started barking until someone came out and rescued it. Another little one had a twin brother who had just died weeks before. They come in very malnourished and are given what they need to get healthy. Once they are healthy they are either given back to their parents, or if they don’t have parents they are adopted by nationals. The oldest children there are just over a year old. You can tell that these children love the attention that the volunteers give, as soon as we walked through the door their little hands and arms raise up towards us to be held.
It is a very relaxing atmosphere. The nurses like to play music and we can dance with the children. Or we can just sit and rock in the rocking chairs. Or play with many of them on the floor. The nannies get their bottles or snacks ready and bring them to us and we feed them. Some of the older children are able to eat sema, the corn and water mixture that the nationals eat. If the babies are wet or fussy, the nannies come and get them and take care of it. With how many children there are, you would expect more crying, but they just laugh and play, so content! One of the days we went it was very busy. Two other groups had come, one with 15 from England who were 14 and on a school trip; and another with 8 from Canada who were on a mission trip. It was hard to move in and out of the rooms and everyone passed around the babies that were out. We were told that there were only 17 babies there. Some of the babies have to physical therapy, like Chisomo Lukele…aka Luke, he is one years old and is not walking yet because he has problems with his hips. It has been such a joy to hold, feed, play with and love on these children! They are such a joy!
Psalm 8:2 From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise…
Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
