Roslin Orphanage Blog

The dry season is gripping the area now . No rain what soever and things are worse because of the windy condition. The only thing which is reducing the hardship is the cool temperature ( around 18 C in the morning to 28 C in the afternoon) as Kupang or Timor Island is currently under the influence of Australian winter . In the dry environment naturally we will be taking more liquid by drinking water for our body but because of the dryness and the cool temperature people are not able to drink enough and the cool temperature is making us forgetting to drink thus dehydration is prone to happen to many people. For this year we are so lucky as we are not having any problem at all with the water supply for us as well as for our near by neighbor. With the water truck that we are having , our needs in water can be fulfilled including the need for water for our plants . Praise The Lord. If in the past we were so effected by the dust , for this year onwards we are are to reduce it by watering the plants and including the leaf washing . We wash the leaf by spraying the trees from above (like rain) thus the dust will be cleared from the leafs. If the leafs are clean , it will be able to hold dust which is flying on the air. The leafs( trees) are able to act as our dust filter accordingly , Praise The Lord. Two things can be done with one action, one we got the leaf cleaned and the trees getting watered by the water which falling from the leaf washing.

washing the leaf as well as watering the trees

our water truck is doing its duty

With having enough water and having enough sun , we are made capable to look after our nursery plants better. We have been trying to teach the older orphans to have their chance to learn to cultivate and multiplied the plants ( and its flower) and to sell it after the flower has been good enough to be an item to sell. With this chance given to the orphans , they will be better with their survival skills. It is a good training from them and benefiting financially for the orphanage as well.

plants for sale

The main thing is not the money that we can get but the training process upon their survival skills. By letting them to participate upon looking after the plants , we can train them to be patient, to be self discipline upon making sure that the plants being watered every day and also teaching them about practicing having hope as a result of our actions. For us , just having to see the plants growing well and showing e new leaf will be a big bonus already. By doing it every day at the pace of what the nature is giving us , we can train them and my self to be diligent and doing step by step naturally . Not rushing or short cutting is possible as the nature taking us its pace naturally ( like what we are trying to grow the veggies without a chemical fertilizer). So far we are using our organic fertilizer factories( the cow dunks and made humus leafs) for fertilizing our plants. In that way we can get a healthier veggies and free from a chemical substances.

growing an organic plants without chemical fertilizer

Indeed no rain but we are having the blessing that our Jack fruit tree is having loads of fruits hanging on its tree trunk and branches. It is a matter of time that we will be getting a ripe Jack fruit on its trees and for us to enjoy it. Come in end of August or September 2 week , we shall be able to eat our Jack fruit right from its tree. Usually if one Jack fruit is starting to ripe , we will have the rest in about almost daily . Just walk close to the tree and we shall be able to smell the fragrant of the riping Jack Fruit.

Right to the ground level and plenty

plenty and hanging up there too

Our chicken are also multiplied and they chicken are eating things from the nature which available on and in the orphanage compound. Their diet can be Grasshopper, small insects and our crushed organic corn specially made for the little chicks. at this time we are seeing some Hens with 9 and 7 new chicks. Some other Hens are still in the process of hedging its eggs. Praise The Lord.

our chicken is being multiplied

The dry and cold wind is making the banana trees can not grow well in most part of the island , even at our place . Even though we are watering the banana trees , the leafs are still damaged because of the dryness and the wind. None of the leafs are in tact.

the damaged banana leafs

By having our water truck , even though the season is so dry we are able to maintain the growth of a particular tree such as the Turi trees( sesbania grandiflora syn Aeschynomene grandiflora). this tree is not only the roots is good to fertilize the soil but the leaf is also good for it. In Java and many parts of tropical countries, people are eating the flower as a cooked salad. So we are having the benefit of the soil being fertile and we can have the flower to be eaten as well. In the real life if we are stranded in the jungle or no where , we can eat this too as our survival effort.

the Turi tree ( sebasnia grandiflora ) and its flower

Not only the things are progressing but surely our orphans have been progressing as well. Those who came to the orphanage were ” days old” babies and now they are already big enough for their schooling year. Some were already at primary one and going to primary 2 . For the new term , we will be having another 5 or 6 children ( orphans) will be starting their primary one too. Many of them have received their school results ( rapport ) and all of them are going to the next level except one girl did not graduate from the secondary school. Not every children are the same , not every orphans is able to digest the lessons properly. These problems can happened to any children ( non orphan) . Running the orphanage is not only getting enough food fro them but the hardest part is actually to perform as their parents . It is easier if they came to us when they are small but for those who came to live with us is older than 12 years old , it will be more difficult to lead them. Those who came as a baby , we know exactly their stages in life but for those who has been living with such a hardship before , it will be more difficult to teach and to lead them. It is ok if the children failed in their exams but the main thing is that they have done their best. It is not right for us to expect them to be good if they were coming from such a remote places. We are having an orphan which came to us from some 300 km away where the education level is very low . This particular boy was not able to know any English word. For this case we are not just ask them to leave the orphanage but we have to nurture them from scratch. It was amazing that my father in law was able to make him understand and to pass the exams . This boy is not on secondary 3 already. My father in law ( Cornelis) has been giving his precious time on teaching the orphans on one to one basis for quite some times. We will not be having a good education at the orphanage without him. We really owe him for spending his time with us . He is only 78 years old young ha ha ha ( but you can still ask him about math, physics, chemistry and English. Beside fluently speaking English , he speaks Dutch , German and some French as well. I think that I will ask him to teach me more and more each day. He just arrived this evening in Singapore for his health check up . Because of him , the little orphans are able to sing many English songs , many of the children able to learn English well and the little one can have a sense of having sort of a family closeness when he is around. Praise The Lord for providing us such a fine gentlemen with us who is willing to assist us upon nurturing the little ones . It is not easy tasks to look after children since they are babies. They are so cute yet so fragile and needing your fullest attention and care until they can actually eat and going to the bath room on their own. We are lucky that those little babies are having so many children to be their example upon doing things by them self. If you may remember , our little Cornelis ( the orphan) was able to eat on his own when he was only 18 months. He was doing it based on seeing others eating on their own so he followed. The same thing for going to the bath room , they are learning by looking to what others are doing. Especially for the bath room matter , we are always keeping an eye and being with them( supervising) and making sure that they will not slip down because of the soap playing or pushing each other. When I was passing through Jakarta , I was able to buy some books specially published for baby’s needs. those books later on I found out that they were written by one of my close friend ( Dr Hindah Muaris). It was written about baby diets right from they are infants.

their last day at kindergarten

sharing a quality time with the little ones

our library can be a class room too

one to one teaching by Grandpa Cornelis

books by Dr Hindah Muaris for our orphanage needs

It is the cool season now in Kupang, for some area this is the season where the worst dry period for that area. I was told by Peggy that when she was buying some vitamins at the pharmacy , she over heard that there are so many people are infected by flu . It was said by one of a doctor who was also buying some medicines for his clinic. Most of the flu was said to be airborne bacteria and the dryness which is gripping the area. It is good if people can afford to buy vitamin C or Ester C so that their immunity is good but to most of the villagers , buying vitamin from a pharmacy has never been done. Firstly the pharmacy is unheard of by them , secondly they do not have the money and most of the case is the distance to the pharmacy just to far for them( to many people can be some 100 km away) . For this vitamin matter our mobile library is really a useful tool for us to share. As I have mentioned on my previous blog entry, we were bringing a lot of vitamin from Singapore for the people who we can reach at our regular places that we are visiting with the mobile library. The vitamin was from madam Adelina and her family. It was quite a lot so I was asking sis Lay Kean and bro Chris Sng to bring some portion of the vitamin. Actually God has provided us some Vitamin source too ( in the form of mandarin fruit) . For the people in SoE town and its surrounding , now is the mandarin season. Even though locally they have this vitamin source , sadly to most of them they just simply can not afford it. Hmmmmmmm

The locally available source of vitamin C