14/11/12 Creole Day
Every three
months, GVI hosts a Creole Day festival for the children who live at the
President’s Village Orphanage in Port Glaude, Mahe. What a great opportunity
for our volunteers to interact with and get to know the children, as well as
make a personal connection with one of the organizations that GVI supports in
its community outreach work. It is also a fantastic way for the volunteers to
give back to these children. In my mind, the most valuable contributions are
not monetary, but instead are comprised of time and dedication, and result in
smiles and happy memories.
The first group
of volunteers arrived by van in the morning and the rest followed shortly
afterward. We quickly set up our activities while the children finished up in
church and when they arrived, the fun began! Some of the kids were a bit shy at
first, but as soon as they became engaged in activities they immediately came
out of their shells. The President’s Village was filled with some good old fun
and a little chaos with so many things going on at once. There were soccer and
rugby games going on outside, and friendship bracelets, coloring, paper planes,
bubbles, face and nail painting, and jewelry making going on inside. The kids
quickly proved how upbeat and energetic they are, and it wasn’t long before the
children, volunteers, and kitchen floor were covered in paint, marker, and
glitter.
Our little
festival was followed by a delicious traditional creole lunch prepared by the
President’s Village staff. After lunch, the volunteers took the kids out to the
beach across the street for a snorkel. Some stayed on the beach playing in the
sand while others swam around the rocks in the beautiful clear blue water, the
perfect way to cool off and end a fun-filled day. The happy but tired
volunteers headed home after an exhausting day, with new friends and memories
made, ready for another day of diving tomorrow.
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