My Inspiration

We are now at the end of our third and final week in Morocco, and I cannot believe how quickly the time has passed. I have also come to know the vibrant little people in the room I've been working in, and over the past few days I've realized how difficult it is going to be leaving there. 

I am going to be completely honest and say that even though I know that these children have most of their basic needs met, and they bond with each other like brothers and sisters (they are not alone given their circumstances), some facts about them stick with me everyday: The likelihood of adoption for the children in the room I work in is low, since most people look to the newborns when they consider adopting. More girls are adopted than boys. Many of the disabled children have the potential to get better but the orphanage just does not have the resources to explore those options. So, for now these children look to their caregivers for what they need moment-to-moment, and enjoy any spare attention from temporary visitors.

Then yesterday, I had a conversation with a woman that gave me a broader perspective...

During the morning at the orphanage, I was able to play one-on-one with this little girl from my room named Khawla. Everyone knows her, everyone watches out for her, and she always receives hugs and kisses from people passing by. She has some disabilities, but they don't stop her from getting around and exploring new things (I've come to learn that she loves feathers). As Khawla and I were in the yard outside, a little girl came up to us and jumped into the game we were playing. She had a huge smile on her face and stated, "I'm four!" Since she spoke English and I hadn't seen her before, I thought that she must have been a visitor. I had a chat with her about how she seemed to be way older than her age, and soon a woman approached us. She spoke English as well and I found out that she was from Washington. We talked for a while and she told me that she used to volunteer at the orphanage, and that she and her husband adopted a baby girl from there four years ago. 

That lively, playful, happy-go-lucky little lady we were playing with was their daughter! The woman told me that she and her husband wanted to show her where she came from, and they were thinking of adopting again. In awe, I just stood there in front of this giving family. 

Soon after, Khawla got our attention. As I picked her up, the woman asked me what her name was. When I told her she had this shocked look on her face and asked, "Khawla?!"  She told me that she used to be in the same group as her daughter. I realized then that this whole time, Khawla has been in a room with younger children than herself. The woman held her for a while, as her daughter ran freely to play with other children. 

Meeting this woman has proven to me that the children at the orphanage should have a lot of hope. Things will happen as they will, but at least for now they are being cared for as best they can be. By being there and witnessing tough times and fun moments, I know that these children are survivors that will in one way or another find their calling. I have learned so much about appreciation, acceptance, love, understanding, compassion, and life in general from these children. They are my inspiration. 

-Candice