Kick off of Empower Program/Peace Clubs with Child Restoration Outreach

Today (Wed July 11^th), we started with meeting with CRO (child restoration outreach). We have visited them a couple of times in the past couple of weeks to get to know them and to start building relationships with them. These children are all street children. They walk the streets daily and if they are lucky are able to find a place to sleep for the night. They are dirty, filthy…yet melt my heart. CRO is open for these children to provide porridge in the morning and then a lunch. The staff offers a devotional for them in the morning and then some classes to review material that is taught in the school, so when they do get reunited with their family and get sponsors they won’t be so far behind in the classroom. The kids are able to come and take showers and wash their clothes throughout the day.

I love naughty kids; they are my favoriteJ. Even with the population of kids that I worked with in America, I was drawn to the trouble makers the most. This group is mostly all males and they are rough! But think about it, they have to learn how to survive daily on the street…so I expect them to be aggressive and to have such a strong wall built up around them.

We are doing the Empower Program/Peace Clubs with them, in a slightly different way than the other groups. These boys need constant activity, fun and excitement to keep them engaged. They often do not get good sleep during the night, so many times they sleep throughout the day and it is hard for them to stay awake when they have to sit in a chair and listen!

We started with a brief “check-in”. I taped up a big poster and drew a line. Each child came up and identified where they fell on the line. One side was feeling really bad and the other extreme was feeling amazing. The majority of the boys wrote their name on the end of “feeling really bad/sad/not good”. Makes sense. This is a great way to “check-in” with various groups that you are working with. Not only does it show the others where they are at and gives them a chance to not feel alone, but it helps us who are leading the group…to know which kids to be more sensitive with, gentle with.  Of course, while I was introducing this first activity, a fist fight broke out among some of the boys. Another boy stood up and broke them apart. After this happened, I knew I was in my comfort zone! J Love, Love, Love them so much!

 We then introduced the topic of trust and ventured into a fun game of “Light House”. The Empower Program speaks about how when we experience trauma and stressful times in our lives, we begin to not trust individuals anymore. These boys especially have little trust for anyone in their life. They only trust themselves, as they are the only ones who they have to fend against and protect while they are on the street. I am sure their motto is “Trust No ONE”.

One boy was blindfolded at a time. Three others were placed in various spots throughout the lawn…with obstacles in the way. The blindfolded individual is the “ship” and the other three individuals are the “lighthouses”. The “lighthouses” have to get the “ship” to come to them safely. The “ship” then delivers their “cargo” which was sweets (candy). I knew the second that sweets were involved we would have these kids undivided attention!

They had so much fun and I love to see them smile and hear them laugh. Of course, there are the “naughty” ones that ate the sweets while they blindfolded and didn’t deliver them to the “lighthouses” J

We then discussed issues of safety. Did they feel safe while they were blindfolded? Why or why not? They definitely agreed that the only reason the “lighthouses” gave them good directions because they knew they were getting sweets delivered to them! We related this game to their life. So often, we walk through life without knowing where we are going and not feeling like we have a guide. There are many obstacles that we face in our life. So I asked them, who is your guide?

“God” they responded. In my heart I learn once again from these children. Here they are, living on the street, no home, not with their family, not going to school…..yet they know and trust that God is their guide. He is the One leading them and He is who they trust to get them to their final destination, safely.

We explained to them that as they looked around, the boy sitting next to him, he is your family. CRO works really hard at trying to get these boys to work together as a team and support and love one another.

I can’t wait to continue to meet with these boys twice a week. I have learned more through all the clients I have worked with in the past in America, and the same is true here. They teach me so much and I can’t wait to keep learning from them.