The girl's orphanage in Herat, Afghanistan supports the local community of orphans with housing, food, bathing and schooling. The teachers are volunteers in the community trying to give the girls an opportunity they would not have living on the street.
The orphanage is 3 stories tall and houses 20 - 110 girls depending on the time of year. These girls come from various types of situation. One girl, 13 years old, was wedded to a 70 plus year old man. She ran away and ended up at the orphanage. Another girl lost both her parents. One girl has a family, but they are unable to care and feed her so she lives at the orphanage. She gets to see her family on Fridays (Friday is the official day off in Afghanistan). The orphanage has four classrooms and an outbuilding with eight bathrooms.
We recently visited the orphanage to ask the headmaster what she needed. The following list is what came of the meeting -
- OTC medicine
- screen doors
- water tank for the bathrooms
- carpet
- light bulbs
- clothing
- sandals
- gravel
- fans
- blankets
- large pots
- electric teapots
- cups
- school stuff
- chains for swings
- money for gas (to cook the food)
- toys
- books
- cabinents
Well, the list goes on a little further. Everything you need to raise a bunch of kids and school them. Plus repairing what they have.
Recently, we were able to purchase the following:
- 36 sets of silverware
- 4 antennas for TV
- 20 meters of waterproof cloth for a tablecloth
- soap
- teapots
- a large pot for cooking rice
- 15 pairs of sandals
- lightbulbs
- 45 kg of lamb
- vegetables
- 200 pads of paper and pencils
The projects we are/will be engaged in:
- Installing screen doors - Anticipate finish on May 2
- Refurbishing 40 chairs
- Fixing the plumbing for the bathroom
- Carpeting the office and the clasrooms
- Fixing the kitchen shelves
- Fixing the playground
- Outfitting the classrooms
We will dedicate a 10-day to each project based off our funds. I have pictures of the orphanage on Picasa. Please stop by and take a look at the pictures. The kids are always smiling and laughing. It is a blessing that we get to visit them everyday.
For photos go to (http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/HeratOrphanage/GirlSOrphanage?feat=directlink)
Thank you one and all for your donations. They go a long way both in immediately providing necessities for the kids and in also knowing that people do care.
Our address is:
Commander - Orphans
ARSIC-West/DOD
Herat
APO, AE 09354
God bless!
