The Calcutta Diary: A Volunteer’s Experience
I can hardly think of blogging right now..still recovering from what has been an endless Christmas celebration…but so much has happened to me int he space of two weeks that I MUST write some of it down.
I don’t really know where to begin. Being here, working with the kids, it’s changed me in so many fundamental ways that I sometimes don’t recognize myself.
Of course, at each junction in this journey-in each country, at each volunteer posting- I’ve felt similiar to the way I feel now.
But here, it seems so drastic. Maybe it’s the environment I find myself in, or maybe it’s just that all the experiences I have had up until this very point have somehow prepared me and made me ready for the changes that are happening right now.
One thing is certain: This place has turned my life upside down and made everything topsy turvy. Not in an uncomfortable way, but in a unforseen way.
Just a few months ago, I was entirely committed to the Ngobe of Panama. I still am committed to them but something has changed.
The thing that has changed is me.
I just don’t think helping the Ngobe is enough. I feel like I want–and can–do more..in an intimate, personal way.
Being here, being with the kids, it’s taught me more about love and patience and gratitude than at any other point in my entire life. I can quite honestly say that although I’ve had many peak experiences on this trip, volunteering at Daya Dan has actually been the peak experience of my entire life.
So, I am making some adjustments.
Big ones.
Huge ones.
Changes in my life and to my earlier goals(which sounded so good and made so much sense 90 days ago but now seem completely inappropriate to who I have become.)
The major, enormous adjustment is that I have decided to adopt a child.
From here, from Daya Dan, if it is possible.
This is quite a drastic change from my earlier thoughts on the subject, but then again..I had never spent time with kids like this and seen, felt, known..how much I would enjoy it.
How this impacts my life, and those in my life, I can only begin to think about. The last few days have been clear only in the sense that I know, simply know that it is what I will be doing.
There is a sense of peacefulness about the entire process that I find to be entirely unexpected. I am actually not worried about it in the least. In fact, I am comfortable in knowing that it is along process that takes alot of planning and patience, and that proper discernment is part of that process. And believe me, I have been discerning about this for quite awhile.
There is one boy in particular that I am interested in adopting, who is named Mitun. He is of unknown age-perhaps 8, perhaps 12- who is the child that has captured my heart.
He is very new to Daya Dan..in fact, he is rarely there, as he attends a special school for the hearing impaired. He is here for the holidays and then going back to school on the 6th. Until then, I am managing to get to know him and have many special moments with him.
He seems to be very intelligent. He simply was not educated in the past because he could not hear and so his speaking skills are poor. He is only just learning his ABC’s now.
He has a hearing aid, which he does not use regularly(perhaps because the other children would break it) and when he uses it he can hear much better. If he was in the States, had a proper hearing aid and so on he would have a chance to have a much more normal, higher functioning life.
He is mischevious and funny and a wonderful dancer, very well socialized and seems to be the sort of child who charms everyone.
Including me.
He was obviously in a very loving family up until very recently, when he was given up. He is warm and affectionate, plays well with others and is helpful.
It is obvious that he is..in the wrong place, in the sense that he has more intelligence than the children he is with. He simply has speech difficulty..the sisters say he has mental retardation as well, but he doesn’t seem like it to the volunteers. There is not much understanding of children with his special need here.
If any of you met him, you would immediately understand why I am changing my entire life to do this.
It is a very time consuming process, adoption. It takes several years. Luckily it seems I have the support of the sisters in this enormous task ahead.
The whole trip has been about “saving the world” but being here has taught me that I can’t really save the world..but I can drastically improve the conditions of someone’s life…and give them a chance. A real chance.
I never considered myself that kind of person-the person capable of giving a child that chance. But now I realize alot of those feelings were about others’ perceptions of me in the past and not about the person I have become on this incredible journey.
So much to do! My goodness!
I end 2008 as a person who never, ever considered doing anything like this…and I begin the New Year with entirely different goals.
I wish all of you a very Happy New Year, and hope for each of you to be as happy and content as I am in making this decision.
love to all,
gigi
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illuminate.gigi
I am a long-lost high school friend of Leyla Alyanak. We just re-united (on-line) after 39 yrs! She sent me the link to your blog, thinking it would be of interest. It was! vI wish you all good luck in the adoption of the sweet angel you wish to raise. A friend of mine, here in Va. adopted a little girl from Cambodia about 5 yrs ago. Chantreya is now 7 & best friends with my little girl, Kalina, who is 8. I just wanted to encourage you because it did take my friend, Malika, almost 3 yrs from start to finish. That was a different time & a different country so hopefully, it won’t take so long. I don’t understand why it should be so difficult, when there are so many kids in need. Anyway, I enjoyed reading your latest blog & wanted to wish you a blessed new year & much good fortune with your plans. Souls like yours are bright candles in the darkness! Namaste, Janaki (Jackie) Lessard
What you’re about to do is amazing. I’ll be arriving in two weeks from now, will you still be there by then?
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معلم تنجيد الكنب في الرياض هو خبير في تجديد وإصلاح الأثاث وتنجيد الكنب. يتمتع بمهارات وخبرة واسعة في استخدام المواد والأدوات المناسبة لتحويل الكنب المتهالك إلى قطع فريدة وجديدة.يقدم معلم تنجيد الكنب في الرياض خدمات شاملة تشمل إعادة تنجيد الكنب بأقمشة عالية الجودة وتصميمات جديدة. يعتمد على خبرته ومهارته في استخدام تقنيات التنجيد المتقدمة لإضفاء مظهر جميل ومريح على الكنب.يتعامل معلم تنجيد الكنب بالرياض مع مختلف أنواع الكنب والمقاعد بمهارة وحرفية. يقوم بتقديم الإصلاحات اللازمة لأطراف الكنب والتغليف الداخلي والتنجيد الخارجي لتحقيق الجودة والمتانة.يهتم معلم تنجيد الكنب بالتفاصيل والدقة في العمل، حيث يعمل على تنسيق الألوان واختيار الأقمشة المتناسبة لتلبية ذوق واحتياجات العملاء. يحرص على تحقيق الراحة والجمال في الكنب المنجد، ويضمن أن يكون النتيجة النهائية مرضية ومبهجة.معلم تنجيد الكنب في الرياض يساهم في تجديد وتجميل الأثاث المنزلي والتصميم الداخلي. يعتبر مرجعية في مجال التنجيد ويحظى بثقة العملاء بسبب مهاراته وكفاءته في العمل. يقدم خدماته بمهنية واحترافية لإرضاء العملاء وتلبية توقعاتهم.
منجد كنب الرياض
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