Hi you guys! It is week two of my eight week study abroad trip in Singapore and I’m absolutely loving it! Over the course of this week, I have done lots of sightseeing and tons of shopping but the one activity that I deemed worthy of being bloggable was my volunteer trip to a Muslim orphanage known as Pertapis Children’s Home. It was an eye-opening experience for me. The Pertapis Children’s Home houses children from toddler age up until adolescence. There are five types of abuse that the children who reside in the orphanage suffered from:
1. Physical Abuse
2. Sexual Abuse
3. Negligence
4. Experiencing violence in the home
5. Emotional Abuse
These children have been through sooo much but you could never tell because they don’t show it. They’re happy and full of life. The initial plan was to take the children to the waterpark for a day of fun but due to Ramadan, a Muslim holiday in which they fast and pray we weren’t able to take them because it would tempt them to eat. Although, we didn’t go to the water park we still had fun by playing games, arts and crafts, reading, and socializing to get to know the children a little better. All the children were great. We were greeted by tap on the hand either from their forehead or nose.
My group of children did arts and crafts and only one young girl, Salinda left a lasting impression on me. Salinda is thirteen years old and she loves playing board games and drawing. She was the sweetest girl I have ever met. As a parting gift she made me a beautiful card; which I was completely not expecting because I thought she was just drawing a picture for herself. I almost broke down and cried! I asked for a hug before we went our separate ways.
This day was super special to me because I was able to put a smile on their faces and they put one on mine and my heart as well. Since this trip I have grown a desire to help children who been abused, mistreated, and neglected. I plan to revisit Pertapis Children’s Home (after Ramadan of course) and actually take that trip to the water park!
Until next time!
