The First Day on My Own

I survived the first day all on my own--YAY! I can't say it was easy though, I was so nervous thinking about all that I had to remember.  I took my first taxi rides on my own and while I had to ask many people for help and directions, they were all very helpful and kind.  Eventually I found my way up to the West Haven Children's Home.  When I arrived I was able to help out in the Veira House.  This house is the home for about 30 children.  There are fifteen beds on the girls side of the room and fifteen on the boys side.  The house has a common room with a kitchen area and then a side room for the girls and a side room for the boys.  It is an okay living space for the children but is very plain, the walls are all white and there is little room for stimulation.  I wasn't able to take a picture but will try to get some in the upcoming days.

This is the gate leading into the school, not the most welcoming :(

While at the home helping I was able to assist in bathing and feeding.  It was very sad for me to see the children in the beds being handled.  They were not asked to do anything for themselves.  In the United States children are taught to be as independent as possible.  Teachers hardly do anything for the child without having them try to do it for themselves.  Here in Jamaica they have neither the time nor the resources to give the children the proper care.  They do care for the children but by doing everything for the child they are actually hurting the child by not allowing them to be independent.  Many of these children will be dependent on a caregiver for the rest of their life because they were never taught how to care for themselves.  A majority of the children are in diapers and are spoonfed. They do not know how to take care of themselves.

Some of the children are left in their beds all day, they are bathed in their beds, fed in their beds, and they lay in their beds.  They never leave their beds to go outside or see any different scenery.  It makes me so sad that all they do is lay in their beds.  In the US, these children would be given the opportunities to grow and become more independent, in Jamaica these children have no options.  They are expected to do nothing more then to sleep and lay in their beds.

I look forward to seeing other ways that the care differs in the coming week.

After volunteering from 8:30-1:00 I was able to take the taxi back into town and then find a taxi to take me to the beach.  It was another lovely day on the beach, very relaxing! I then took the taxi back home with the other volunteers and had a dinner of saltfish (the national dish of Jamaica), rice, breadfruit, and salad.

Saltfish--National Dish of Jamaica