Hi guys, just a quick update to let you know how the first week's gone since The Great Move In. The first weekend at the Home was a little slow. Most of the younger children ran around the grounds looking in the strangest places for short-term volunteers, since they had never seen me show up to Baan Unrak without them. Actually, quite cute!
The older kids welcomed me back warmly since they knew I was coming, and we spent most of the weekend together just catching up: walking around, talking, watching movies, playing with the dogs, etc.
The weekdays are quiet since the kids are away at school all day, but Didi is keeping me busy with special projects: handling the kids' individual sponsorship details and communication with private donors; managing the computer 'playroom' privileges; creating a reward system for the teenagers being home schooled so they have incentive to do well in their studies...this on top of my own private projects I'm hoping to set up next month. (More on that, later!)
When the kids come home from school, 3:30pm or so...the real work begins. Suddenly, they're everywhere! Climbing up every spare limb, shouting for my attention, getting into trouble...whoa! And that's the point, from 3:30-10pm I'm all theirs.
The older kids keep asking me how long I think I will stay...I think they're testing me. They want to know how close they can get, or better how close they shouldn't get in case I leave suddenly. I am treading carefully here, but making it very clear to them, every day, that I am 100% here for them now...and no one else.
Didi eventually sees me taking over as Teenage Supervisor, but at this point I'm nowhere near ready. The teens will be challenging, since everyone knows those hormonal years are hard enough in the best of circumstances. Here it can get even worse when everything has to be shared, violence and abuse runs rampant in the local community, and privacy is non-existent. I am taking the time now, step by step, little by little, to earn their individual trust and respect. Slowly building bonds for future use when the time calls for it.
Most of the teens I'm already quite close to, but at a very superficial level...I want them to be able to share secrets with me, to bring me in close and allow me access as another set of eyes and ears around the Home. That, if I can do it, will be my greatest contribution to Didi. She worries so much about them, but they live in a 'secret world' as Didi says...something she doesn't have 100% access to as a 'mother.' Hopefully, an 'older sister' will be the answer.
This weekend I plan on starting the 'real' work. I'm taking some of the teens out for a walk around town and for a swim in the lake. I plan on starting this regularly (with small groups or individuals) so that way they can feel special, establish one-on-one bonds with me and hopefully take me into their hearts for good.
Wish me luck.
No comments:
Post a Comment