
Hardt Haven Childrens Home
One of the main reasons I chose to study abroad in Ghana was so I could volunteer while going to school. With the need as great as it is here, there are many different volunteer options for people who want to help. When I first arrived, I allowed myself to get settled in with the Ghanian culture and my school schedule first, and then decided I would look for places to volunteer.
At school, I made a friend from Holland, Derrick. He told me about an orphanage that he would go to on days that he didn’t have class, and I asked him to take me there. The place was a little cement room with a chalk board and a couple desks. The woman who ran the place was so sweet, her name is Fati. She explained that her home is a place where kids can go before and after school for help, or just a place to stay. She makes quilts that she sells at the market, and uses that money to pay for the children’s schooling if their parents can’t afford it. I made a friend, Soloman, who is 20 now, and he explained that Fati single handedly got him through his entire schooling career, and he is now applying for colleges in the states. Fati is amazing, and I enjoy her company so much. There are days that I go to help, and most all of the kids are at school, so I will sit with Fati and help her sew the quilts. Her husband, Kwame, helps with the sewing as well, and he taught me how to sew initially. The kids are great as well, and really really excited to learn and interested in everything you tell them. So during the week, when I don’t have school I am able to go to Fati’s house and help out there.
My friend Jess has a professor who knew of an orphanage that she suggested Jess should see. It is in a village called Kpando, in the volta region which is about 4 hours away from us here in Accra. The orphanage is called Hardt Haven children’s home, and is for HIV victims. All of the children there either have HIV, or are orphaned because their parents died from it. When Jess told me about the place, I knew I wanted to go. We went up early in the morning via tro tro and got there early afternoon. The man who started the home, Edem, picked us up from the tro tro station and took us to the home. The kids were beautiful. There are about 23 of them living at the home, and most have HIV. A couple are the siblings of ones who have HIV, and a few have been orphaned due to HIV. HIV/AIDS has a huge taboo here in Africa. When people find out someone has it, they are instantly shunned from the community. If a wife dies of AIDS, the community finds out she had AIDS, and then assumes the husband and children have it as well. So, the husband will leave in the middle of the night and flee to a different village where no one knows, and leaves the children alone. Hardt Haven picks up those kids, and gives them a home. The home provides them with the medicine they need, which they would never be able to receive otherwise.
Right when we walked through the gates, a chubby, bowlegged 2 year old ran up to us and hugged us. His name was Christopher, and we quickly discovered that he was easily the most charming, loving, hilarious child any of us had ever met. He stole my heart in a matter of minutes. He had this pale of water that he was walking around with, that he kept spilling everywhere. All over him, the other kids, and everything. He thought it was great, and had the biggest smile on all day.
I know you aren’t supposed to have favorites, but Paulie, a 3 year old girl, continues to make me love her more and more. Paulie is HIV positive, and the week before we got there she got really really sick. The doctors didn’t think she would make it, but she did. And when we arrived, you would never have been able to guess she was even sick. She has the cutest, highest pitch voice, and followed me around holding on the back of my pants wherever I went. She is feisty though, and has the funniest personality. I took the children to church the next morning, and during all the songs she would stand up and dance around clapping and singing loudly. She has such a vivacious spirit! If I could take her home with me, I would in an instant.
What really breaks my heart though is how they take care of each other. There are volunteers there always that watch out for them, but in reality, the children are each others parents. The older kids, (who are only 11) make sure the younger ones eat, bathe, and take their medicine. I can’t imagine having that kind of responsibility at 11, but they do it flawlessly. If a baby starts crying, the 8 year old girl, Mia, will rush over and pick them up, and tend to them. Whether it be feed them, change them, or simply hold them, they do it. They watch out for one another, and I have never seen anything remotely like that.
Isreal is one of the oldest at 11. He is most like the father figure to all of the children. He distributes all of their medicine, and at 7 am and 7 pm daily, he finds the volunteers and tells them, its medicine time. He is so much older than his years, and has had to grow up so quickly. I am trying to describe the kids as best I can, but I can’t even put into words how amazing these children are. The obstacles they face daily are larger than anything I have encountered throughout my entire life, and they meet each day with a positive attitude. They don’t cry, they don’t complain. Instead, they laugh, they play, they love each other.
Dankor is an 11 year old boy as well, another one of the oldest. He is HIV positive also. The thing with HIV is, if you have a C4 count of less than 1,000 you have HIV. There are 3 stages of HIV, a C4 count of 750, 500, and 250. The lower your C4 count, the worse it is. If the C4 count is less than 250, it is considered AIDS. Dankor’s C4 count is 57. It is a miracle he is alive, the doctors have labeled him one of the "walking dead". Again, you wouldn’t even be able to tell he is sick. He is constantly smiling and playing with the younger kids, doing their dishes and bathing them. I can’t imagine how much pain he must be in.
Wisdom is the youngest one at the orphanage at 12 months. He looks about 6 months though, because he is so tiny. He was taken from his mother and brought to the home, because she is what they call "mad" here. She lived on the streets, and refused to feed him. So when Edem found Wisdom, he was incredibly malnourished and very sick. He is doing great now at Hardt Haven, and all of the children absolutely adore him. They all take turns tending to him, and he is constantly being held because he is so lovable you don’t want to put him down.
I could go on and on about all of the children at Hardt Haven. They are all miracle children, and their stories are horrendous and inspiring at the same time. I go on the weekends, and stay for a couple days for each trip. Each time I leave, I can’t wait to go back. This last trip, we found out fantastic news. Christopher, the one I was talking about earlier, was born with HIV. But, apparently there is a 2 year grace period where if they are administered their medicine correctly and daily, there is a chance they can beat it. He was tested last week, and was negative for HIV. He still has to do 2 more tests within the next 6 months, but it is looking extremely good! He has two families in the US that want to adopt him, so needless to say, we were all thrilled! Even thinking about it, I get emotional all over again. Because if you met Christopher, you would love him. There is no way anyone couldn’t. And he doesn’t deserve to be dealt the life he was, none of them do. At times around them, I have to remove myself because I become overwhelmed with their situation. The fact that these kids are here in Africa, and I am blessed to be a part of their lives for a while, but when I leave they will still be here. They cannot simply leave their situation like I can. This is their reality, their life, and only a lucky few will be able to escape or overcome it. Hardt Haven is their savior though, they get more love and care there then a lot of other African children. Edem is currently working on expanding his own home so he can fit more children in the home. I am going back next weekend, and bringing a lot of my friends to help him with the construction, because he is doing it single handedly. He was thrilled when I offered that, and I am also working on raising money for him to help with the supplies he needs to finish his project. Three of my girlfriends and I are working on raising money, so I will email soon about our plan of action, and if anyone back home would be interested in helping in any way they could. I apologize for the length of this blog, again. But I could not leave out any part of this one, I am so incredibly moved by these children, and I realize that really the smallest thing can make a huge difference to them. I will keep in touch about what happens from this point out.....
One of the main reasons I chose to study abroad in Ghana was so I could volunteer while going to school. With the need as great as it is here, there are many different volunteer options for people who want to help. When I first arrived, I allowed myself to get settled in with the Ghanian culture and my school schedule first, and then decided I would look for places to volunteer.
At school, I made a friend from Holland, Derrick. He told me about an orphanage that he would go to on days that he didn’t have class, and I asked him to take me there. The place was a little cement room with a chalk board and a couple desks. The woman who ran the place was so sweet, her name is Fati. She explained that her home is a place where kids can go before and after school for help, or just a place to stay. She makes quilts that she sells at the market, and uses that money to pay for the children’s schooling if their parents can’t afford it. I made a friend, Soloman, who is 20 now, and he explained that Fati single handedly got him through his entire schooling career, and he is now applying for colleges in the states. Fati is amazing, and I enjoy her company so much. There are days that I go to help, and most all of the kids are at school, so I will sit with Fati and help her sew the quilts. Her husband, Kwame, helps with the sewing as well, and he taught me how to sew initially. The kids are great as well, and really really excited to learn and interested in everything you tell them. So during the week, when I don’t have school I am able to go to Fati’s house and help out there.
My friend Jess has a professor who knew of an orphanage that she suggested Jess should see. It is in a village called Kpando, in the volta region which is about 4 hours away from us here in Accra. The orphanage is called Hardt Haven children’s home, and is for HIV victims. All of the children there either have HIV, or are orphaned because their parents died from it. When Jess told me about the place, I knew I wanted to go. We went up early in the morning via tro tro and got there early afternoon. The man who started the home, Edem, picked us up from the tro tro station and took us to the home. The kids were beautiful. There are about 23 of them living at the home, and most have HIV. A couple are the siblings of ones who have HIV, and a few have been orphaned due to HIV. HIV/AIDS has a huge taboo here in Africa. When people find out someone has it, they are instantly shunned from the community. If a wife dies of AIDS, the community finds out she had AIDS, and then assumes the husband and children have it as well. So, the husband will leave in the middle of the night and flee to a different village where no one knows, and leaves the children alone. Hardt Haven picks up those kids, and gives them a home. The home provides them with the medicine they need, which they would never be able to receive otherwise.
Right when we walked through the gates, a chubby, bowlegged 2 year old ran up to us and hugged us. His name was Christopher, and we quickly discovered that he was easily the most charming, loving, hilarious child any of us had ever met. He stole my heart in a matter of minutes. He had this pale of water that he was walking around with, that he kept spilling everywhere. All over him, the other kids, and everything. He thought it was great, and had the biggest smile on all day.
I know you aren’t supposed to have favorites, but Paulie, a 3 year old girl, continues to make me love her more and more. Paulie is HIV positive, and the week before we got there she got really really sick. The doctors didn’t think she would make it, but she did. And when we arrived, you would never have been able to guess she was even sick. She has the cutest, highest pitch voice, and followed me around holding on the back of my pants wherever I went. She is feisty though, and has the funniest personality. I took the children to church the next morning, and during all the songs she would stand up and dance around clapping and singing loudly. She has such a vivacious spirit! If I could take her home with me, I would in an instant.
What really breaks my heart though is how they take care of each other. There are volunteers there always that watch out for them, but in reality, the children are each others parents. The older kids, (who are only 11) make sure the younger ones eat, bathe, and take their medicine. I can’t imagine having that kind of responsibility at 11, but they do it flawlessly. If a baby starts crying, the 8 year old girl, Mia, will rush over and pick them up, and tend to them. Whether it be feed them, change them, or simply hold them, they do it. They watch out for one another, and I have never seen anything remotely like that.
Isreal is one of the oldest at 11. He is most like the father figure to all of the children. He distributes all of their medicine, and at 7 am and 7 pm daily, he finds the volunteers and tells them, its medicine time. He is so much older than his years, and has had to grow up so quickly. I am trying to describe the kids as best I can, but I can’t even put into words how amazing these children are. The obstacles they face daily are larger than anything I have encountered throughout my entire life, and they meet each day with a positive attitude. They don’t cry, they don’t complain. Instead, they laugh, they play, they love each other.
Dankor is an 11 year old boy as well, another one of the oldest. He is HIV positive also. The thing with HIV is, if you have a C4 count of less than 1,000 you have HIV. There are 3 stages of HIV, a C4 count of 750, 500, and 250. The lower your C4 count, the worse it is. If the C4 count is less than 250, it is considered AIDS. Dankor’s C4 count is 57. It is a miracle he is alive, the doctors have labeled him one of the "walking dead". Again, you wouldn’t even be able to tell he is sick. He is constantly smiling and playing with the younger kids, doing their dishes and bathing them. I can’t imagine how much pain he must be in.
Wisdom is the youngest one at the orphanage at 12 months. He looks about 6 months though, because he is so tiny. He was taken from his mother and brought to the home, because she is what they call "mad" here. She lived on the streets, and refused to feed him. So when Edem found Wisdom, he was incredibly malnourished and very sick. He is doing great now at Hardt Haven, and all of the children absolutely adore him. They all take turns tending to him, and he is constantly being held because he is so lovable you don’t want to put him down.
I could go on and on about all of the children at Hardt Haven. They are all miracle children, and their stories are horrendous and inspiring at the same time. I go on the weekends, and stay for a couple days for each trip. Each time I leave, I can’t wait to go back. This last trip, we found out fantastic news. Christopher, the one I was talking about earlier, was born with HIV. But, apparently there is a 2 year grace period where if they are administered their medicine correctly and daily, there is a chance they can beat it. He was tested last week, and was negative for HIV. He still has to do 2 more tests within the next 6 months, but it is looking extremely good! He has two families in the US that want to adopt him, so needless to say, we were all thrilled! Even thinking about it, I get emotional all over again. Because if you met Christopher, you would love him. There is no way anyone couldn’t. And he doesn’t deserve to be dealt the life he was, none of them do. At times around them, I have to remove myself because I become overwhelmed with their situation. The fact that these kids are here in Africa, and I am blessed to be a part of their lives for a while, but when I leave they will still be here. They cannot simply leave their situation like I can. This is their reality, their life, and only a lucky few will be able to escape or overcome it. Hardt Haven is their savior though, they get more love and care there then a lot of other African children. Edem is currently working on expanding his own home so he can fit more children in the home. I am going back next weekend, and bringing a lot of my friends to help him with the construction, because he is doing it single handedly. He was thrilled when I offered that, and I am also working on raising money for him to help with the supplies he needs to finish his project. Three of my girlfriends and I are working on raising money, so I will email soon about our plan of action, and if anyone back home would be interested in helping in any way they could. I apologize for the length of this blog, again. But I could not leave out any part of this one, I am so incredibly moved by these children, and I realize that really the smallest thing can make a huge difference to them. I will keep in touch about what happens from this point out.....
Natalie--I just found out about your blog from your dad. I have loved reading about your experiences in Africa. I actually get chills reading your writing. You sound like you are having an amazing experience. Maybe you could come talk to my students when you return. Take care! --Mr. B.
ReplyDeleteNat,
ReplyDeleteI love your spirit and desire to help people. I think it is great that you can help out as you learn about Ghana and its people. The children at this home sound amazing. They are so resilient! I have great respect for all those kids and how they take on their hardships without complaint. They have a lot to teach anyone!I'm so proud of you for reaching out to help. I think some of Mr. Battaglia's Leadership lessons took root deep inside of you! Take care and I love you!
Dad
This is the last time I will try to post a comment tonight! I can't remember password and I am so confused! Unbelievable!!!!
ReplyDeleteI love your spirit, Nat! Keep up the wonderful work with the children...they are so lucky to have you! Love, Mom
Hi Natalie,
ReplyDeleteWe can't thank you enough for all you are doing to help the home. It's people like you that make our work possible! Please hug all the kids for me and tell Donkor that Auntie Lizard says hi. Lisa Fuller, US Director, HardtHaven Children's Home