It was Thursday evening at Grace Orphanage home, I was helping the kids with their school assignment when we heard a knock at the gate. I excused myself and followed one other caregiver to see who the visitors were. It turned out to be a young man in a Toyota Camry.
After exchanging pleasantries, he told us it was his birthday and he will like to celebrate it with the kids. He opened his boot and brought out a bag of rice for the home. I was all smiles because I knew the effect of that in our store. With joy, we told him to come in and say hello to the kids but he declined and drove off.
We brought the rice in but I wasn’t happy. Why will he decline from seeing the kids? Is there something I need to know or what exactly is going on?!
Then one faithful day, a young man came visiting from FUTA (Federal University of Technology, Akure). This young man will come to the home with his guitar and start singing with the kids.
The kids love sitting around me but whenever they set their eyes on this young man, they will all leave my side and run to him. He will sing and play the guitar with them and this will go on for hours. Sooner than expected, he became part of our big family for he was showing up like twice every week especially Sunday evenings.
I noticed this young man never came with gift items for the kids but always with the gift of himself and his skills and this the kids cherished above every other thing.
On a particular Sunday evening, he gave me N20 (0.056 USD) when he was leaving. To buy things for the kids! Obviously there was nothing to get for the kids with that amount that will go round but it was well appreciated by all of us because he had given the kids the gift of himself which was priceless.
To my surprise, the kids couldn’t forget his name and every night during our devotion whenever we ask them to pray, they will go Uncle Folorunsho will not die in Jesus name before they will even remember to pray for the rest of us.
My Submission:
- Beyond the gift items, you have to present at a home is the gift of yourself and time to the kids.
- The best gift you can give the kids is the gift of an Uncle or an Aunt. They want to know you by name and have you visit frequently not just during outreach or festive periods.
- They want to be able to talk about you to their friends when they go to school and not see you as just a visitor that came visiting.
- Their priority is not the gifts you brought but the time you gave in laughing and dancing with them.
- Next time you visit a social home or ophanage home, get them a game e.g. football, skipping rope etc. and play it with them.
- Can you help them with their homework and also tell them stories that will make them laugh and at the same time inspire them.
- Can you ask them regular kid questions and not about their parents or things beyond them.
- Can you tell them you’ll be back and keep your promise?
Every social institution is a community home, let’s join the caregivers to make it a home indeed for the kids.
Let’s meet here on Friday as I spill out my experience at the home and my observations too. Till then, keep keeping on. You’ll soon get there. The present situation might not look like it but if God is involved, you can trust the process.
Your Friend,
Ma Funmi