Friendship knows no boundaries.
True friendship knows no boundaries.
Today my girlfriend and I went to visit another orphanage in Panama to assess their needs and to see how our newly-formed volunteer group can possibly be of assistance. Within the orphanage are children whose parents could not afford to raise them, children whose parents were on crack and gave up their children, children who were abandoned on the sidewalk near the orphanage, and children born with aids. It was heart-wrenching to see these beautiful – yet abandoned children.
The two little ones in the photo are both babies born with AIDS. We discovered that these toddlers (AIDS) were the least visited children there, so we gave them the most attention ;-). They are kept separate from the other children until they are approximately six years old, so that they can receive their medication and be cared for attentively. These children were such a pleasure to be around – they were happy, engaging and full of spirit.
During this visit we also met and spoke with a woman who was raised in a Panamanian orphanage, eventually adopted, and who has returned to help care for and guide other children in orphanages. She is an amazing person with great strength and wisdom and we hope she can give us guidance on how to proceed further in our endeavours with VIP (Volunteers In Panama).
