I wanted to briefly outline the most AMAZING parts of our day at Sanyu! We came to invest in the staff at Sanyu, serving them and empowering them to provide the BEST for the children of Sanyu.
1. Linda, our nurse, came to me last night and said all 6 babies who are being monitored for weight gain at Sanyu have lost weight. She looked at me and said, "I am concerned about the three smallest ones. They are vulnerable and will die at the next infection." There is one baby in particular, Kate, who is 11 months old and 10lbs. Kate is medically fragile and not growing and developing properly.
Addressing Kate's nutrition and weight gain was top priority today! After investigating her charts and researching where to access the nutritional supplement that was prescribed, we were able to get 10 cans due to the generosity of a donor. We fed her several times throughout the day. I taught the
entire staff some simple oral motor stimulation strategies. Then, she ate beautifully. It
is VERY sad though because we all got in the van and said that we thought she probably will not make it. However, we were able to model to the staff that the Sanyu babies deserve the best!
2. The teachers are TOTALLY responding to the model lesson plans we are doing with the preschoolers. I did one yesterday. Bree and Faye, members of the team, did one today. By the end of the day, the teachers were asking us to help them structure and schedule so that they may continue to implement the teaching and classroom management strategies we have been modeling.
They are AMAZED that we can get two year olds to choose a book, sit down, and read quietly. ;) Most of them would not have books in their home and if they do, they are for adults, certainly not
children. It just is not part of the culture. Of course, well-meaning people from all around the world have donated thousands of books to Sanyu, but the teachers do not know how to use them. They
are learning.
3. I had the opportunity to facilitate the second workshop for the staff. It is great to empower them. I told them that money does not solve problems, people do! I told them they have the power to change the lives of the children. Then, I taught them how to massage a baby. Frances, the most involved little special needs boy at the orphanage, was at the center of the circle with mothers massaging him and the whole crowd singing to him and he would normally be the discarded and ignored and avoided child. It was a bit of a paradigm shift.
So, all in all, the work at Sanyu is going GREAT! Despite the challenges, it is worth it. It is worth it to empower the staff. It is worth it to say to them, "You are heroes." It is worth it to say, "The babies deserve our best...the Sanyu babies are deserving! AND, if you buy
into this vision, the whole world will stand with you."
With much gratitude,
Karine
1. Linda, our nurse, came to me last night and said all 6 babies who are being monitored for weight gain at Sanyu have lost weight. She looked at me and said, "I am concerned about the three smallest ones. They are vulnerable and will die at the next infection." There is one baby in particular, Kate, who is 11 months old and 10lbs. Kate is medically fragile and not growing and developing properly.
Addressing Kate's nutrition and weight gain was top priority today! After investigating her charts and researching where to access the nutritional supplement that was prescribed, we were able to get 10 cans due to the generosity of a donor. We fed her several times throughout the day. I taught the
entire staff some simple oral motor stimulation strategies. Then, she ate beautifully. It
is VERY sad though because we all got in the van and said that we thought she probably will not make it. However, we were able to model to the staff that the Sanyu babies deserve the best!
2. The teachers are TOTALLY responding to the model lesson plans we are doing with the preschoolers. I did one yesterday. Bree and Faye, members of the team, did one today. By the end of the day, the teachers were asking us to help them structure and schedule so that they may continue to implement the teaching and classroom management strategies we have been modeling.
They are AMAZED that we can get two year olds to choose a book, sit down, and read quietly. ;) Most of them would not have books in their home and if they do, they are for adults, certainly not
children. It just is not part of the culture. Of course, well-meaning people from all around the world have donated thousands of books to Sanyu, but the teachers do not know how to use them. They
are learning.
3. I had the opportunity to facilitate the second workshop for the staff. It is great to empower them. I told them that money does not solve problems, people do! I told them they have the power to change the lives of the children. Then, I taught them how to massage a baby. Frances, the most involved little special needs boy at the orphanage, was at the center of the circle with mothers massaging him and the whole crowd singing to him and he would normally be the discarded and ignored and avoided child. It was a bit of a paradigm shift.
So, all in all, the work at Sanyu is going GREAT! Despite the challenges, it is worth it. It is worth it to empower the staff. It is worth it to say to them, "You are heroes." It is worth it to say, "The babies deserve our best...the Sanyu babies are deserving! AND, if you buy
into this vision, the whole world will stand with you."
With much gratitude,
Karine
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