First Day at the Orphanage January 25, 2010

Today was our first day at the orphanage. Out of  25 volunteers between two VPV dorms, only five of us were going to Thi Nghe. The rest either went to other orphanages or to teach at shelters.

 The building looked modern outside, just like ordinary kindergarten. As we entered the first room, we saw a floor of mattresses covered with crippled helpless bodies in the same color pink striped PJs, as if it is a handicapped child’s prison. They hardly speak possibly due to never being given speech therapy.  You look at them and wonder why did they get those illnesses, what for? You can’t really guess their ages, as they look small and clueless.  Little bodies are sometimes sharing one crib. Heads are shaved so you can’t tell their gender. Their eyes are wandering with curiosity, some faces are smiling, you know that children are happy to get attention.

I am speechless, I want to cure them all and see them live independently and happily, but it’s impossible to do. What is the point in playing with them, making them happy for a moment, but then leaving them, knowing what kind of ending they are going to have either here or somewhere else?

Then we were told that children (about 60 of them)  are on the floor in two rooms temporarily, because other rooms are being renovated. Andy said that this orphanage is better run than some other ones he knows, because it is sponsored by the government and has more standardized procedures in place.

I was very impressed with how good food was. Carers were very efficient in feeding children and changing their nappies.  I also saw carers folding clean nappies and stacking them into big piles in the closet. It is a very smooth process of feeding children 5 times a day and bringing them to beds. Majority of the kids in these two rooms have cerebral palsy due to various reasons. Carers, busy with many duties, do not play with kids, which is not very educational or entertaining for the kids. Whenever carers have a free moment they sit in quiet or chat to each other.

Children and staff  sleep after lunch. We returned to Peace House for lunch and we went back:  feeding and playing again. We saw some other children who came for day care, almost all of them had Down syndrome. I fed about 5 children that day and when I looked into children’s eyes while feeding them, I saw their souls deep inside: pure and wonderous. What they need is love, which is not always available for them.

Thi Nghe (Formerly Pho My)

About Thi Nghe

Thi Nghe is located in Binh Thanh District in Ho Chi Minh City. From 1875 to 1976 it was a refuge for the homeless, the elderly and those suffering from incurable illnesses. In 1976 the Social Welfare Department of Vietnam assumed control and is now exclusively for the care of abandoned, handicapped children. It is a large center which is currently caring for over 400 abandoned children. Nearly all of the children here have disabilities, with about 150 suffering from cerebral palsy. When arriving at the center most of the abandoned children are also malnourished.

There are around 230 staff working at Thi Nge, who welcome both local and international volunteers to help care and play with the children.

Thi Nghe Center facilities include a fully equipped physiotherapy area, an infirmary, laboratory, 12 classrooms, a sewing workshop and a domestic science class.

The aim of the center is to provide care for the children who have mental and physical disabilities. They provide physical and mental therapy to try and give them some skills to move them  as close as possible to independent living.

In 1994, a teaching farm was set up in Bao Loc, 200 km north of HCMC for young adults. It currently has 67 young people learning and receiving training in how to cultivate tea, coffee, vegetables and fruit, as well as working with farm animals. They also cook and do general house-keeping.

Working at Thi Nghe

Some of the children at Thi Nghe are severely disabled so you should be prepared for some changes. The children we work with are not capable of feeding themselves, so staff and volunteers main work at present is helping with this. Some are fed with feeding tubes. It can be  a slow process of feeding a small bowl of food so patience and perseverance is vital. Each bowl (also spoon and drinking bottle) is individually named and contains medication in the food. The staff will direct you to the correct child if you are unsure.

When feeding, most children should wear a bib and some need a large triangular pillow to support their head. Some children will move around  a lot so they need to be strapped to the pillow to make feeding possible. You will need to take a wet cloth to wipe the face during and after feeding. We are asked not to stir the food while feeding.

Work usually includes helping with: feeding, changing nappies, playing, decorating rooms. There is a small sensory room which you can take a few children in to, and strollers are also available downstairs to push around the grounds.