by
Website Editor
| Apr 06, 2010
It's been a long time since I've flown a kite...
And I've never had the honor of flying a kite made from a plastic bag and some sticks. The view from the orphanage was breathtaking -- beyond the fields of sugar cane and palm trees was the Caribbean Ocean. There at the top of the windy road was the Child of Hope orphanage and the location of the team's clinic for the day.
One of the first things you see as you drive up the muddy road are the kites waving in the wind. The children, who did not live in an orphanage before the earthquake, take the simplest things and turn them into toys they play with for a long time.
The team arrived and immediately got going in setting up the clinic for the day. Runny noses, skin disease and diarrhea abound. Our volunteers quickly determine how best to treat their little patients and help the orphanage staff members keep all the medications and treatments clear.
As a non-medical professional, I get to turn my complete attention over to the kids waiting in line. This is always a true joy for me. One of the easiest ways to have fun and get a smile out of them is to take their photo on a digital camera and show it to them.
As I was taking photos of the kids who were flying kites instead of getting checked out by a doctor, one boy handed me the reigns of his pride and joy. I promptly proceeded to crash it. So he got it going for me again… and again… and again. And then he taught me the proper way to fly the thing. It brought huge smiles to the kids’ faces… and to mine and my teammates’ as well.
I’m glad I was able to provide a little bit of joy and laughter to the lives of these beautiful kids living in such a situation….