Some information on St Thomas Children’s Home
“St Thomas’ Children’s Home is a registered non-governmental organization located in Sherwood, Durban. They have 60 children that reside at the home between the ages of 2-10 years old. The children come from disadvantaged backgrounds, that is, HIV positive, abandoned and orphaned, abused and neglected. They are committed to provide holistic programmes to enhance the quality of life of their children. They facilitate the re-integration of children into the community of families.” (Rotary District. 2012)
Our trip to St Thomas
On Saturday our class was privileged enough to visit St Thomas Children’s Home. We were divided into groups and asked to plan activities for the children. Our group had to plan an activity for the Daisy’s which were boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 6. As a warm up we commenced the session with a game based on the premise of pass-the-parcel. Music is played and a ball is passed around the circle. Whoever is holding the ball when the music stops has to perform a task given to them by a student in order to win a prize. The tasks centered on teaching the children fundamental concepts like colours and numbers. For example, a student would hold up a blue card and ask “what colour is this?” or the student would hold up a shape and ask “what shape is this?” The students ensured that each child got to participate and received a prize.
The main activity was shakers making. The shakers were made using toilet rolls and a variety of beans and grains. The children made the shakers and were encouraged to decorate them. Once all the children had made a shaker the students and the children sang nursery rhymes which gave the children an opportunity to use their shakers.
Overall, the activity was a huge success as the children really engaged with the students and had a good time. I felt like we provided a fun element and was successful in breaking an institutionalized regime. However, the session could have been planned better to reduce the confusion among the students and children. Additionally, there were too many students giving instructions which further confused the children. I would suggest that one student be put in charge and the others assist when needed.
As much as I loved spending time with the children it was hard to accept that we only popped in for one morning and then we returned to our privileged lives with families that care for us while these children would remain in the home. It made me grateful for everything that I have but also bad that I wasn’t doing more.
Valuable resources for dealing with vulnerable children:
This website aims to teach health professionals about vulnerable children and how to recognize them as well as our role in dealing with vulnerable children. It is very comprehensive and resourceful.
References:
Rotary District. 2012. St Thomas Children’s Home. [O]. Available: http://www.rotary9270.org.za/westville/projects/41/ Accessed: 30 July 2012
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