Kezia School from Indonesia visit us
On Wednesday 11th July 2018 a group from Kezia School in Indonesia visited us: not the 14 people we understood were coming, but four of them. The Bann Fueng Fah senior staff shared the video of the orphanage and the teachers of Kezia shared theirs.
The school’s curriculum is something truly wonderful, using the letters of the word PRECIOUS to highlight their aims. http://www.keziaschool.com/?page_id=1191 These are wonderful values to have.
The group talked about how in Indonesia its very much the community who provide the help for those with disabilities, which is the reason they are curious about government institutions within Thailand. There was a mutual understanding of similar works and lots of discussion about NGOs and government provision. The general view was that a mix of government help and support for parents to care for their own children is the way to go.
Then we went to my ward and Mr B got his shoes on to give them a tour round the different areas of the orphanage. In the physio room he showed off his stair climbing skills at double speed. They got to see some of the innovative projects and resources Bann Fueng Fah has created. We went to the sensory room and adventure room too.
After the tour, the group did some singing over the children with puppets. Knowing we have one child on my ward who can be really scared of puppets, he was the child who was in my arms. When the person you are with is smiling and loving the puppets, it’s a lot harder to be terrified. This worked a dream and he was even willing to give quite a few high fives with assistance, which involved reaching and touching the puppet. He did so well and was clearly proud of himself. Miss N and Mr B had sweet interactions with the puppets as did many others in the ward.
After this the group kindly gave the orphanage bundles of socks and bracelets. We went back to the meeting room to get their bags and while there we had a short time of prayer between us for the two organisations and the difficulties and joys they face.
We thank God for this opportunity to share with others and to encourage each other in our passion for disabled children and their success in reaching their potential.
Nicola Anderson.