School trip to BP

They all are precious!

Picture for illustrative purposes only.

A few weeks ago I met someone who works as a play therapist at one of the local orphanages.
This orphanage, like many others, was originally established for children who lost their parents during the civil war. But nowadays they also support street children, abandoned children often due to witchcraft accusation or children who have run away from abusive homes.
The therapist specializes on work with traumatized children, particularly babies.
Play therapy should help them learn how to attach to other people to become more involved in the society. Normally babies learn this from their parents, but sadly for the orphans this stage of development they have missed out on. Because of that many of them lost their confidence and have developed a “don’t care” attitude toward the world around them.  
Even though the nurses take good care of them it is impossible to give so many children the one to one attention they need.
It is so sad to see a depressed baby or toddler!
Most of these children grow up with negative attitudes and often aggressive which makes it even more difficult for them to join in the community.

The playing activities help to stimulate the children and help them overcome their fears and frustrations.
Many orphans have emotional difficulties around the issue of abandonment and loss, and play can help with the negative feelings and calm them down.
However, so far,  play therapy is not a recognized tool in Angola that's why the work has to be done by volunteers.  

There are also many kids with mental problems, physical handicaps, or both.
Some have most likely gone through a cerebral palsy as babies which left them lying almost motionless on the bed.
After two years of the play therapy, through being talked to, touched and held by volunteers regularly, they started to make eye contact, smiling, making  sounds, stretching their crooked up legs and arms.  
When you pick them up they are so happy!

I thought working with handicapped kids would be very sad and depressing but in contrary! Seeing them improving and expressing their joy whenever we give them some attention is very rewarding.