My sweet sister-in-law Mattea did not come to Ecuador empty handed. A week before she left we chatted over FaceTime and I told her about the work I had been doing at the orphanage and how they had a huge need for shoes. Mattea and her determination had an idea. Within an hour of our conversation ending Mattea posted on Facebook a need for shoes and supplies at the orphanage I had been volunteering at, where she would be joining me for a few days to volunteer while she was visiting.
The response was amazing. We had old friends, past colleagues, families from the school where I teach at and family members offer shoes (new and gently used), clothes and money to support the needs of the orphanage. This is an example of one of the many lumps I continue to find sneaking up in my throat through this trip. People came out of the woodwork to lend a hand. It does take a village.
I would like to bring one point up, especially because I was wondering about this myself… This government funded orphanage itself does have a small allowance available to purchase items for the kids. However, to access this money first they have to fill out a huge amount of paperwork and once they send the request in the turnaround time can vary from two to four months and up to seven. They try and keep a small stockpile of clothes, shoes and other necessary items but it’s impossible to predict how many kids are going to show up and what they will be bringing with them. They do get a regular supply of diapers, soap, lice treatment and feminine hygiene items. My new friend Deanna who works at the orphanage and speaks a little English answers all of my questions regarding this. The orphanage is also next door to the jail.
After Mattea and I spent a couple days in Quito we flew home to Macas. We unpacked her backpacks and I was shocked to find that my entire queen size bed was covered in shoes, clothes and school supplies.
After a day or two of getting Mattea aquatinted with at the orphanage we lugged all of the gear up the hill and to make our delivery. Mattea and I spent the next hour or two sizing kids one by one for shoes or clothes. Sizing shoes was a bit if a challenge, but most kids got shoes their size or a half size larger. Thankfully, no one was stuck with shoes that were too big. There were also enough shoes so that the orphanage has a stockpile of shoes tucked away. Shoes for the teenagers were harder to come by, thankfully an old friend of mine send Mattea with some cash and we were able to purchase shoes down here. The kids were happy. The adults at the orphanage were appreciative. Mattea and I watched Telmo (a four year old resident) take great care cleaning the dirt off his new sneakers the next day.
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A lot of people (Mattea and Blake, especially) put a lot of time, work and/or money into this little project. What Mattea and I walked away from was simple: Kids with new shoes or clothes that fit them and that (most importantly) fit and looked nice. A sense of pride was clear on all of the faces at the orphanage. I walked into the orphanage almost a month ago. The language barrier was superseded by smiles, love and laughter (and the occasional crying baby) everyday. The orphanage has a feeling of family that surrounds it and I was fortunate enough to find my own spot in their family. There was a clear need to get shoes on these kids I’ve been spending so much time with. My sister in law got this ball rolling. Friends and family helped out. There are many forms of family and when you’re family you take care of each other.
My Return to Ecuador 