Why am I Here?

Why am I here? Most of you are probably thinking, well of course, you are there to teach English. Over the past two weeks I have quickly realized that yes I am here to teach English, but also for so much more. This past Tuesday I went to my section for the first time to hang out with my group of girls, who are between 11 and 15. The children here all live in sections/groups, which are divided due to sex, age, and grade. There is a babies house which has sections from 15 months to 8 years old and boys and girls houses which have sections between the ages of 8 and 16/17 years old. Every volunteer elects a section of children/teens to eat dinner and hang out with at least two times a week. This provides the children with a positive role model, a friend and a person to talk to who is not their direct caretaker.

On Tuesday when I went to have dinner with my section of girls they were all asking me to sit next to them and that was eagerly followed with... are you coming to our section tonight?? Please!!! We enjoyed a delicious dinner of rice and beens and I walked down to the house arm in arm with some of the girls, while they asked me how to say different words in English. Once we got to the section the evening began with a quick dance lesson by some of the girls, followed by a jump roping contest, coloring and braiding each others hair. The evening went quickly because the girls head to bed around 8pm so they can wake up at 5am and do some of their chores before school starts. As the evening rounded up and the girls began getting ready for bed we sat on the floor with their heads in my lap talking and laughing like we had known each other forever. Well more them talking and me listening due to my spanish skills! I headed back up to my house as the girls were crawling into bed and all I could here from behind me was...good night and please come back tomorrow!!!

As I walked through the grounds of NPH from their house to mine it all hit me. This is why I am here. I am here for these girls and these children. I am here to laugh with them and to cry with them. I am here to help them with their homework and hold them when they are upset. I have dedicated the next 13 months of my life to living in another country, speaking another language, learning another culture, meeting new people, and taking on new challenges, but most of all I have dedicated the next year to these girls and these children and being all that I can be for them.

P.S.-- I am going back to my section later this week and my camera has been requested...so pictures to come!