I would like to pay a special tribute to what I have learned to know and love about those I will refer to as "The Children of Hope" of HardtHaven Children's Home (for purposes of trying to be confidential, I will use their first initial and age to share their individual stories):
1. D17 is a sick child, meaning he has been stricken with HIV. He didn't find out until 2009 and is still suffering emotionally to accept his condition There is so much stigma associated with HIV/AIDS that the person becomes ashamed and embarrassed. Because of this, he is unable to attend boarding school with his peers out of fear of being harassed over taking medications. His parents are gone and he was living under the care of his Grandmother, but she could no longer meet his needs. He is a very sweet young man but usually quiet. He enjoys joking around with the volunteers and pretend to be a "ghost" is he is feeling shy. He would prefer to lay in bed and review all class notes independently rather than joining in on group time.
2. I16 was working in the village as house help. He and his older brother moved into the children's home to attend school. He is smart and hopes to become a doctor but suffers from severe test anxiety, thus has been held back several times for inability to pass term exams. He acts like a tough boy when in reality I find him to be down to earth and a charmer. He even gave himself the nickname "Mr. Love"! I learned he is the one child who knows every other child's medication regimen and is really caring to look after the well being of the others.
3. J16: is a sick child. She is one of the original children that entered the home when it first opened in 2007. When "found" the doctor said not to take her in as it would be a waste of money. She wasn't expected to live for more than 6 months. She has a retinal disease affecting the eyes that will slowly progress to blindness. Supposedly there is no cure and corrective lenses do not improve her sight. She has opted not to attend the school for the blind as it would cause even more exclusion from the other children than what she already faces and "special" schools do not receive good education. At the same time, she is lagging in her studies because of the inability to see the chalkboard. She usually keeps with the Matrons helping in the kitchen or washing clothes. You have to ask her directly to join in on group time but once there, she enjoys participating with volunteers and receiving one on one tutoring. My biggest surprise was our final day together and watching her dance nonstop without inhibition amongst the others.
4. K14: is a sick child and one of the originals. He is a true orphan and was found severely infected with disease. Ringworm was covering his body and he had also been invaded by a form of parasite found in freshwater which burrows through tissue and creates holes throughout the body. Because of this, he still suffers from kidney problems and an enlarged spleen. He is often very quiet and acts uninterested in most activities but really is the big brother type to the other children and will readily jump in to play if it means making them laugh.
5. B11: has an alcoholic father who was unable to care for he and his sisters, one older who was sponsored at the time and died of an untreated respiratory tract infection and one younger who lives at the home and he secretly is protective over. He has the biggest smile, prettiest eyes, and is very intelligent. He is so humble about his abilities and will silently accept compliments. I worked with him a lot, giving extra encouragement about his talents. Really just a great kid all around and in his heart knows he is loved.
6. J10: is a sick child and one of the originals. He is a true orphan and was living under the care of a loving and caring Grandmother who unfortunately could not appropriately tend to his needs. When he entered the home, he suffered from severe acute malnutrition and vitamin D deficiency, presenting as extreme rickets. He is one of the most content children in the house, happy to engage in activity or just sit back.
7. BE10: is a sick child. When found at the hospital, he was so severely malnourished and weak he was unable to stand, walk, or barely talk. His father is a pastor and was ashamed to have a sick son, so he kicked him out of the house to go live in the bush with his grandma. He is the observer of the group. He will stand over and make sure all is going as planned. He helps out a lot around the home and appears happy living here as it has given him a second chance.
8. BC9: entered the home simply because of his older sister. Not much information was provided but he gets along very well with the other boys of the house, is very active, and enjoys running errands in town such as buying bread.
9. G7: is the first born to his twin. Not much information was provided but from observation, he can be quite stubborn sometimes and likes things to go his way. He is often called to help the Matrons. Once you gain his attention, he can usually focus quite well and complete his homework independently.
10. SE7: is the second born to his twin. It is known he is a sick child but the method of transmission is unknown. He struggles a bit in school as it is believed he has dyslexia. Sometimes his letters or numbers are mixed around, upside down, or missing from a word completely. He has a difficult time concentrating but really enjoys playing games and dancing.
11. N7: is the very first officially adopted child of HardtHaven. Sh has an older sister who was living in the home but is now away at boarding school. Her background I don't know but as for her personality, she likes to call the Aunties to help swing the other children, really enjoys playing Candy Land, and likes having videos taken of herself. Yes, sometimes she thrives on being the center of attention!
12. P6: is a sick child. She is the younger sister of B11. Because of their irresponsible, alcoholic father, she was found at 2.5 years old and was completely capable of measuring out and taking her own medication. She loves to have Aunties to herself. Her penmanship is beautiful and she will often try to write class notes for the others.
13. A?: has an unknown true age. A cognitive evaluation indicated she would not develop past the age of 2. Because of her "disability" and psychologically impaired mother, she was abandoned and actually living on the streets. She was found eating her own stool to survive and inflicting self harm by banging her head against the concrete. Her head is thus misshapen because of the swelling and unhealed fractures. She knew only three Ewe phrases at the time, "I need water", "I'm hungry", and "I need to poop". It took the staff 6 months of counseling before she stopped playing with her feces and adapted socially to living in the home. Her middle name is after the woman who brought her to the attention of HardtHaven and her last name is that of the founder. Although she is a bit "special", knowing her history makes it a story of success as she s now attending school and developing cognitively. She is queen of breaking out in random singing or dancing. She loves to come up and give you hugs or hold your hand but fights for attention with the others. She will provide comfort to the younger children if they are crying. Her attention and listening skills are not the best so creativity in conveying a message is a must.
14. SC5: was originally a sponsored child. He was being looked after by his teenage cousin, which prevented her from attending school. One day Edem went to visit and found him sitting alone at the age of 1.5 years eating dirt. Bless his heart he held out his hand and offered Edem some to eat. At that very moment he was taken and he is still one of the first children to always offer his food to volunteers. He is king of demanding attention even if you are busy because he loves to have you look and what he is doing. He is very sweet but doesn't like to share time. He loves playing a hand clapping game and is a very good dancer!
15. C5: is the newest child to the home, entering January of this year. He was a sponsored child living out in the bush with a blind uncle. Edem went to visit late one evening and found that he hadn't eaten or bathed. He was more of a care giver for the uncle, helping around the house with various tasks, instead of being properly looked after. He is one of those adorable boys with big round eyes that capture your heart. He likes singing the ABCs and being cuddled.
16. W4: came to the home at 9 months of age with severe chronic malnutrition. His mother is psychologically ill so abandoned him. Usually the village would take over the care of the child, but because of the stigma associated with mental disorders, they held it against him as well. HardtHaven staff worked very hard at getting him to eat anything. He was brought up on rice water as nobody was lactating at the time and baby formula is far too expensive. Now at almost 5 years of age, he is still physically the size of a 3 year old but fortunately has not suffered intellectually. He is a boy full of energy and all over the place. He is very small and light making him the victim of being tossed in the air or swung around, which always puts a smile on his face.
17. K3: was sent to live with his Grandmother after his mother got remarried and the new husband didn't like the son. He was found malnourished and sitting in his own feces. He can always be a bit whiny and not clear on his needs, but loves any little attention he can get whether it's being chased or tickled or even just being held. His smile is gorgeous.
18. K2: was taken to the hospital for treatment of severe malnutrition. He was under the care of his Grandma but she died leaving no family members behind. He has a scar on the side of his face that actually began as a birthmark but due to ignorance it was scrubbed so hard that it caused an infection which spread. With being the youngest of the home, he is one of the favorites. He is full of exploring the surroundings and pointing out new things to Aunties. He enjoys singing songs and walking around in a serious manner.
19. E2: is one of the Matron's sons. She began work at the children's home within the past month. He looks maybe 1 year old but is really the same age as K2. He doesn't talk, walk, and barely stands even if holding onto something. He has a pot belly and crooked legs due to vitamin D deficiency. He is now being supported by staff and volunteers to begin rehabilitation and specialized support to encourage growth and development.
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