07/03/10

Life at the orphanage is fun, is funny, is hectic, and is certainly always interesting! Natalia and I have “class” every afternoon with the girls where we help them with their homework and studying. And there are two types of students: some girls just want you to tell them all the answers, and some girls really really want to learn. And the latter of the two are just a pleasure to work with and almost make up for the former. And of course I am helping one of the 8th grade girls with her homework and in the middle have to reach over and make the 3-year-old spit out the little pieces of dirt or perhaps bugs she has been picking off the table and putting in her mouth.
Today one of the 10-year-olds came up to me and showed be the huge wound she has on her knee, really three large circles missing skin. I asked “when did this happen?” and she said “yesterday.” And she clearly hadn’t told anyone or done anything for it, because there was a huge amount of cotton fabric (from her sheets I am guessing) stuck in the blood and pus of the scab. So I had to go try to track down the rubber gloves, but it took me 20 minutes to find the sister who had the key to the dormitory where they were. Then when I returned with them I was told that the giggling 5-year-old has decided to just pull down her pants and pee right there on the cement next to the building, so I took her and delivered her to another sister to be scolded. Then I had to pull all the cotton out from the wound and then it took us another 10 minutes to track down the gauze and bandages. But in the end we had the floor cleaned, girl scolded, wounds all cleaned up and covered, and hugs for everyone.