We arrived at the Phu My Orphanage to be told that the children had flu and that we should go away as 2 volunteers had already caught the virus. So.... we asked if there was another orphanage that we could go to for that week instead, and there was - Dieu Giac. This orphanage is run by Buddhist monks, who believe that they are providing a permanent home for the orphans, therefore they are not ever adopted out. The children here are mostly able bodied with the exception of a few and we are still trying to learn/remember all their names, so to make it easier we have given them names of our own (as you will see).

On our first day at this orphanage we met a lady called Margie, who by chance was just starting a project their to paint all the girls and baby dorms pink. This has worked quite well for us as we can get to the orphanage in the morning and spend some time entertaining the kids before they eat lunch at 10.30am! Then when everyone goes to sleep for a couple of hours around 12 we can get involved in some of the painting. Its pretty rewarding as the girls were so excited when they saw the pink paint go onto their walls, they were quick however to point out any spots that we had missed or pick up a paintbrush themselves and get stuck in!

There are a few children that have stood out to us so far and they are mainly the younger ones as they are around all day whereas the older kids go to school either in the morning or the afternoon. 'Sickboy' as he has been named because he was sick all over another volunteer, is maybe about 2? He was dropped off at the gates only 4 weeks ago so he is still a bit traumatised and tends to cry a lot and gets very clingy to anyone that picks him up and gives him hugs. 'Snotboy' is pretty cute and will always come up to you and give you a massive grin, normally with a runny nose. Thon or Dong (we are not sure of his name exactly or how to spell it!) is a young boy who we think has cerebral palsy. He is bed bound almost all the time as he cannot use his legs to move around but we have been carrying him under his arms out into the courtyard to play and he loves it - he has the biggest smile and best laugh when he is enjoying himself. There is also a little 3 year old girl called Mi Hung who introduced lots of children to us and spent ages correcting us when we tried to pronounce her name - incorrectly.

The orphanage is well run and many of the women who work there also live there with their own children as they cannot afford to be anywhere else. One thing that we have not got used to and probably never will is the discipline given to the kids. It is very common for the parent helpers to hit the children. This can be for all sorts of reasons, some of which are sometimes pretty hard to figure out. This method also rubs off on the children as they hit each other, the dogs and you sometimes.

One other observation has been the weather. Although not fully into rainy season yet, there have been a few big thunderstorms and downpours (one of which happen on our way home on the motorbikes) that can flood some of the dorms at the orphanage. The rooms are all open with no windows, only grills so when the rain and wind comes the children have to move their possessions to stop them being ruined. In some cases, this is quiet a lot as the children tend to hoard any gifts given to them!

We are in the middle of replanning the end of our trip but we will update you on children and travel soon.

D&L xx