Our Finished Projects - Part 1

While many of us were working away on our projects at the orphanage, so many things were going on with different projects.  Before we left, we took the opportunity to see how much we accomplished as a team.  When I started going through the pictures, it struck me just how many things we were able to do together.  As such, I'm going to split them into two posts.  Also, this writer is not terribly literate when it comes to "tools".  With our fundraising dollars we were able to purchase several significant tools for the orphanage to use, and I am awaiting our "experts" to tell me yet again just what they are…… Stay tuned……..

Until then, you will recall the team that was painting an entire house.  This was a very large house, and as the week went by, we weren't sure we were actually going to be able to finish.  But, the Dream Team brought in additional very capable back up, and we are thrilled to say we finished!!!! Take a look…..

Some of us walked away feeling energized to tackle the painting projects we have wanted to do for a while at home.  We all agreed, though, just not yellow…….:)

This picture shows that our Dream Team grew.  We had so much fun doing this together, and it was a privilege to work with these amazing women!!


You will recall this crew working outside in the sun and the heat to replace and expand the roof of this outdoor cover .  This cover allows  the children to be out sitting and working in the afternoon, shaded from the very hot sun.   Bill and his "Hot Harem" had so much fun together.  They were such troopers.  They got sun burnt, had some challenges as they were digging (I won't tell what really happened - ask them:), but they doubled the size of this structure.

Here is where a group of children were doing some "homework" under one of the smaller structures in the afternoon.  With this new larger structure, so many more children can be outside working away…… I was quite struck that even though it is their summer vacation, some of them were working on printing and math…….. They just worked at it together, in this loving supportive environment.

Here they are!! Bill and his Hot Harem……. They had so much fun together.  The smile never left Bill's face………. Surrounded by 4 STRONG women ALL week:)

This project was started by a group that was at the orphanage a couple of weeks before us.  They took the children's pictures, sent them back to Canada to have them printed on cloth, and then they created these cool back packs.  These very creative team members sat down at the 2 (they only had 2) sewing machines and started working away.  They too had fun doing this, and the children LOVED them!!!!

We came to learn that, depending on the gifts of the team members that come to the orphanage, the team coordinators often added additional projects in.  This happened for us.  Sonya and Evan were our two MUCH young team members, and they were such good sports in hanging out with their parents and those team members in their "vintage".  When Kieran, the on the ground coordinator, learned that Sonya had her Grade 10 piano behind her, he lined up several children who showed abilities in music for lessons with Sonya.  As we painted, we often heard them practising with her.  This lovely young girl presented a song in a concert evening before we left.  It was so special…..

When this young student's "partner" was too nervous to play his part, Sonya stepped in to play it with him.  We were all so proud of Sonya and her students.  We hope this could perhaps be a lifelong legacy for these children….

Well, I now see that there are still several other projects that we wanted to show you.  If you would like to keep looking, I'll add those pictures over the weekend.  Again, we so appreciate your interest and feedback about our posts and pictures.   Stay tuned…….:)