Today the women’s project called HIV Orphans had a completion to their year of service. There is an orphanage about 2 hours from here with more than 30 children ages 6-16 who have become orphans from parents who died with Aids. The children are often ostracized in the classroom and put in the corner of the room because they are seen as less than or tainted. They do not have aids but their parents did. They don’t feel like they have friends and are treated badly.
The women in the academy have been writing letters to these children and sending them little pictures for the past 8 months. The leader of the group was able to get a donation from an organization to bring these students to Sias campus today. A large bus arrived with 30 children looking a little lost and sad to be honest. Their faces lit up when they saw about 15 women and men waiting for them with gifts in their hands.
The donation money covered the cost of the bus ride, lunch off campus, books and treats. The students took the children to a large conference room and sang songs and did introductions. They took a tour of campus and came back to do a craft of Chinese knots. At lunch they also had birthday cake for one of the children’s birthday today. They presented them with books and mini candy bars I brought from America.
It warmed my heart to see these men and women of the academy love these children and serve them in a way they may have never been served. They had one on one attention and felt the unconditional love from the students. One little boy was sitting off on his own not feeling very good. A woman who is a nursing student went up to talk with him and gave him a drink and he cheered right up.
I saw a light in their eyes that I didn’t see so brightly when they first arrived. When they left they had big smiles on their faces and kept waving saying I love you. Just call me a cry baby because I am. I cried while they were eating lunch just watching the interaction with the students and children. It is such a pleasure to see what can happen in the lives of someone when they feel loved. I believe my students portrayed the perfect example of love towards these beautiful children. I could take anyone of them home with me.