NO pictures of the Baby Rooms
Though the reason behind this was never explained to our team, I could understand the need to protect the children and staff from exploitation. A tub filled with dirty diapers without the context of having just changed multiple bottoms or right before being taken away for washing could be misinterpreted or used to portray neglectful conditions.
However, nothing could have been farther from the truth as we enjoyed feeding the children each day in the Baby Rooms. Maybe you could threaten older kids to have them put on a show for the foreigners, but in the Baby Room? Here we witnessed the real care and concern of the nannies for the little ones under their watchful eyes.
Monday, Miranda and I teamed up for Baby Feeding in a third floor room while Jason and Gretchen tackled the challenges of the second floor sweethearts. Babies were seated in strollers, lined up and waiting before a row of tiny chairs. Yes, we were expected to sit on toddler-sized chairs and then handed a large bowl filled with rice porridge and a spoon.
Let the shoveling begin!
These little experts taught us how to quickly fill their tummies with rapid-fire spoons filled with warm porridge! No time for dawdling! These babies were HUNGRY! Their nanny stood close by to instruct and assist or hand sloppy feeders a washcloth to clean up our messes.
A great challenge soon presented itself because several of the children who had referral files at AWAA surrounded us in the Baby Rooms where we were not permitted to photograph. With my camera tucked away in my backpack, the Assistant Director gave me permission to photograph only these children with my phone's camera.
So hard to feed these sweet babies every day, yet only have a couple poor photos of their sweet faces!
"Priscilla" sat in a stroller away from the little ones Miranda and I were feeding that first day. Worry and concern were etched on her little face. Glancing in her direction between spoons of porridge, I hoped to catch her eye and win a little smile.
Oh! So WRONG!
I did catch "Priscilla's" gaze...and then she burst into terrified TEARS!
One of the older boys who was helping with the babies turned her stroller away from us and comforted "Priscilla." Still she would check over her shoulder frequently at these intruders into her peaceful and protected realm.
Then, I learned that she was one of the little ones we had hoped to meet on our journey.
If a picture is worth 1,000 words, these two definitely communicate how much "Priscilla" wanted me to take her picture!
Now if you are not an adoptive parent and/or are not familiar with attachment issues, this might appear absolutely horrible. A little girl frightened and crying instead of smiling and playing with us. However, from an attachment perspective, this response is GREAT!
What "Priscilla" showed us with her timidity and tears was her strong attachment to her caregivers. Though our team came to help the staff and children at the orphanage, we were strangers to this two-year-old sweetheart. We had established no trusting and safe relationship with her.
The great part of her response and attachment to her nannies is that she can form a strong attachment. When her family comes to bring her home some day, they will probably experience difficult days of adjustment, but since "Priscilla" has already established strong, secure attachments she can more easily develop a strong attachment with her loving family.
Each day we returned to "Priscilla's" Baby Room to help feed her friends, she quietly watched us from the safety of her own stroller.
Day Two, she didn't cry just because we were in the room.
After feeding the babies on Wednesday, their nanny placed a mat on the floor with toys and allowed us to play with the children. "Priscilla" allowed herself to be placed on the floor near us. She did not smile. She did not laugh. But she did tolerate us in her space and allowed Miranda to hand her a toy. I asked if I could take another picture of Princess "Priscilla" while she was not crying.
Staring at me with her somber eyes, she studied me as much as I studied her. A little bump on her noggin made me almost regret that this would be the "best" photo I would have of her. As a worried mama, I also wondered at how she bumped her head since I had last seen her on Tuesday.
On Friday, as we feed our sweet little ones for the last time, "Priscilla" had a ball in her hand as she watched us from the safety of her stroller. After Miranda finished feeding another princess, "Priscilla" tossed her ball down to the floor. Miranda quickly picked it up and returned it to her.
Game On!
The "I Drop It - You Pick It Up" game commenced with gusto. Miranda split her time between play with one girl and pick up with another.
All week, I longed to see her smile and hear her laughter, but our limited time with the babies over just five days did not earn us the luxury of such trust. However, we were privileged to witness "Priscilla's" baby steps toward strangers within the security of her nanny's presence.
"Priscilla" is paper ready and waiting! According to AWAA, "Priscilla is designated by the CCCWA as a special focus file and is from one of our agency’s orphanage partnerships. A family at any stage of the process is eligible to review this file."
This beautiful little girl is waiting for the loving and nurturing embrace of a family! In the safety and security of her mama and baba's arms, she will grow and blossom!
Oh, how I still long to see her tiny little rosebud mouth burst forth in endless girl giggles!
I would love more information on sweet Priscilla. Can you point me in the right direction? We were LID on 6/10.
ReplyDeleteAmerica World - www.awaa.org - would be able to give you the most current information on "Priscilla" and her file status.
ReplyDelete