May 2026 Trip Recap - Part 3
JUNE 2026
Trip Recap Part 3
Some of the orphanage kids are getting older and need a plan for when they graduate high school. We started vocational classes for this purpose. Several years ago, there were thoughts to build a school at the orphanage to help with the problem of high cost of school fees. A large concrete structure was erected with the idea to finish it as funding allowed. We’ve mostly let go of this idea for many reasons, and now have been finishing small portions of the structure at a time for current use. First the boys’ dormitory room was finished and then a carpentry classroom.
Here I found a picture of us standing on the second floor of the building structure when we visited in 2023 and a couple more current pictures.
The carpentry class has a teacher that is paid approximately $1,000 to teach the class for an 8 month period.
Sewing class is also conducted 8 months of the year and the pay for the instructor is about $125/month.
They took our measurements to make us custom outfits to wear to the church service Sunday.
As funding allows, we plan to buy materials for the welding class to construct metal bunkbeds in the dormitories (instead of wooden beds which are prone to bedbugs and a fire hazard) to meet safety standards and government regulations.
It rained a few different times when we were visiting. Most all of the orphanage property is dirt so there were huge puddles and mud everywhere. We got to thinking that making some concrete paths and walkways would help greatly, and this is something we may pursue in the future.
During a bout of rain, we served lunch in the old church building which is now used as a “rec room” of sorts. The kids also helped pass the time by singing us some Christian songs, of which we could sometimes pick out a few words that we understood. Electricity is hard to come by, but a couple of the boys were able to find a lightbulb to screw into an empty socket and connect some power so we could see better.
Drew, Levi, and Westin went with the boys to a nearby field to play soccer (with the new ball we brought) while Addison and Claire brought nailpolish and painted all the girls’ toenails, which they loved!!
