What we do - working with children: The children and young adults we interact with during our stay have a variety of mental and physical abilities. With people who are bed bound, where possible we bring them outdoors for short periods. Others who we can't bring outside we spend time be each of their bedsides interacting with them. Simple things like blowing bubbles, playing with balloons, hand and feet massages are really important activities.
Feeding time are also critical. We assist with feeding times in groups which is another great way to spend one on one time with the children.
With the more able bodied children, there are a number of outdoor activities from simple walks, football, swings, slides, playing ball, face painting, parachute games and impromptu discos'. We also have access to the indoor gym and physio rooms when weather is wet and cold. In the gym we can play football, volleyball, simple ball games and botcha. Weekly there is a disco on Wednesday afternoons where you can dance and boogie along with the kids.
On occasion we have been able to bring some of the children into local towns for trips to the park, picnic's, trips to the circus etc. These day trips are a huge buzz for the children (and the volunteers too!)
We try to spread our time as evenly as possible amongst all the groups in the orphanage. The days are long and tiring and its great in the evening time to sit down with the group and chat through all the events of the day. We write up a daily journal as a group to ensure that key messages in terms of who wasn't eating, who wasn't well, things particular kids like / dislike so it can be passed onto the next group.
It's better for the group to cook and eat together and for everyone to share the workload. You don't have to be a good cook, everyone pitches in and helps at whatever they can do.
Massage days are a great highlight for all the residents.
We bring them for walks within the complex, play on the swings, play with balloons and bubbles, 'fetch' Frisbees, and just interact with them as much as possible.
An important activity each evening is to complete the diary of the days events. It a great way to keep up to speed on happenings in the previous weeks.
What we do - Building Programme: In the short two week period that we work on the projects, we will build, plaster, plumb, tile, install appliances, rewire and anything else we need to do.
For more information, email us at office@burrenchernobyl.ie
