As a City Chik- my life is one big whirlwind- between my career and living the Single City life it seems like I just never stop (and by the way I love that).  But I wanted to find a volunteer vacation that would take me to an orphanage- I wanted to be around children that I could nurture during my stay.  After much research- I found a Failure to Thrive Clinic for Children that was part of the
Global Volunteers program.  Like every trip- it was a gut feeling that told me this was going to be the place for me.

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Of course, I had no idea what to expect and was anxious for the adventure. My bags were packed with everything from plastic gloves, to glowworms, to clothing for these unknown children. I met the group at the airport and we were on our way to Tutova which was a small town in Barlad.

Our first day, I had no idea what to expect and thankfully there were quite a few volunteers that had been to Tutova a number of times. That being said, nothing could prepare me for the image of walking into the orphanage. The children were in tight quarters (mainly because the main building was under construction) and as they saw you they were crying with their arms out wanting to be held. At that point I had wished I was an octopus to grab more of them and hold them close. 

I was playing airplane with one of the children and well let's just say I then called her my Pukey Princess. These children have all types of ailments- anything from a hole in the heart, to brittle bone disease, downs syndrome, etc.  You find yourself wanting to help in their development however there were few records to help us know where to begin.  So basically, we were on our own to provide love, caring, and development. 

We worked hard and I learned about changing cloth diapers- but what I didn’t expect to happen was to see that you can bond with a child so quickly. There was one child, Alexandra that had brittle bone disease and well she just touched my heart. 

Every day we laughed and would have some dance parties. But it was the private moments that have touched my heart. Each volunteer had gravitated to certain children and we all wanted more for them. We wanted to make a difference and sometimes that is the hardest part because you can only do what is in your control.

Some of the children come to the clinic to get proper care and then return back to their families. Others go into foster care or remain at the clinic.

Tutova is a special place that is visited by many volunteers and it is the children that keeps bringing people back. To see the progress in the care is unbelievable. It is because of Global Volunteers' history with the clinic that they are able to survive and continue to help these children.

And on a personal note- this City Chik realized that maybe sometime down the road I will adopt an older child that needs a home and tons of love.