Roslin Orphanage Blog

Quality time among the orphans

It can be a simple thing but if we are doing it together it be a very positive and so many things can be done nicely. Looking at this picture alone , we can see how close they are and psychologically they are bonding  strongly.  They were able to seat together and they can play games using their hands only. Many other games are played by them and if there is  a penalty , it will be in the forms of singing or such activity which they can do it firmly but happily. It is always rewarding to see them when the older orphan are doing it together. It always involve some skill or knowledge transfer among the older one to the little one. This attitude is what we want to be practicing  to make their togetherness productive.  By doing so the older orphans are able to reduce our tasks which our time can be used into doing some other things.

one of their favorite time together at the library room

Peggy making up the girl’s hair while Irene is dealing with Peggy;s white hair

together eating on table

together eating on the floor

The togetherness is very important no matter what they are doing. For example eating together on the table or on the floor. These two simple things can generate some sort of survival skills about excepting things and dealing with it the best they could. Another case can be taught is to wash their clothes both manually and by using a washing machine. From the cooking side , we can teach them how to use the wood to cook and cooking with the gas stove. It will be nice to know things and able to do things in so many ways.

Your time is the most precious gift which you can give to the orphans. Simple knowledge about the animal in the zoo can be a great lesson to them. Showing what a train like and explain it to them is a grand thing to the orphan ( there is no train in Timor.  They are seeing aircraft every day as we are so near the airport but not a train). When we are looking at the dictionary which containing lots of pictures, we can tell them better. There is a great book of such which we bought them in Singapore some time back. The book has some 4000 pictures with solid explanations. From this book the older orphan is getting a big if they want to improve their vocabulary. The little orphans can start knowing so many things by recognizing the pictures.   I am planning to buy some more this afternoon , it is a really a great book to buy ( sad to say that 4 books were missing , 2 may be stolen and the other 2 was missing because of the big flood in Jakarta ha ha ha . That time I was asking my friend to bring the book to Timor  but while the suite case ( full of books) was at his house , the flood was washing off all of his belonging including the suit case. There were some educational videos too in it).  It is not easy to teach them English because they are also still learning their local language as well.  Teaching Two language at once at the early age ? Hmmmmmm. We need a lot of time and skill to do it properly. It will be easy to teach them a single language ( any language ) but not two at the same time. Any way we are doing our best with all of our short comings.

Just do it together

Janson, Ivan and Tia

Tia and Jen, sisters made at this orphanage