ONE SPECIAL LITTLE MOMENT WITH THE CHILDREN

Think I have said here before that I don't get many chances to be with the children when we are on programme, because my role is more of a support one.
You know, all of those essential daily chores, like driving, shopping, cleaning and cooking (Just call me Cinderella!)
There are so many special moments for me with the kids though, and maybe those moments are more special for me because they occur only occasionally.
There was one late afternoon, when I arrived at the Special Needs Centre to collect a group of volunteers from what I know would have been a long and tiring day. When I arrived though, all of the volunteers were still outside with the children playing ball games and obviously having a great time, so I just sat back to one side and watched while I gave them all a little more time to enjoy the end of their busy day.
I spent a few minutes watching and shouting encouragement and occasionally fetching the odd stray ball and throwing it back into the melee.
As I watched I looked over and I saw one of the little girls who was resident at the centre sitting on some steps. As usual she was just sitting there, staring downwards and rocking to and fro, it was what she did most of the time, seemingly lost in her own solitary world concentrating her vision onto the cold bare concrete below her feet.
I moved slowly and went to sit on the steps too, but not too close.
I am no expert with special needs children, but one thing I do know is that every one is different and very few enjoy having their private space invaded by a stranger.

As I sat down, I was aware that she gave me a very brief glance out of the corner of her eye, so I just sat still where I was while she carried on rocking backwards and forwards. I stayed quiet whilst I was sitting there, no more raucous conversation with the volunteers on the field and playground, I didn't want to disturb what was happening next to me. 
As I sat there I heard her talking quietly to herself, her words matching the rhythm of her rocking, she was speaking her usual words. Words that we had heard her use so often before;

"Shut-up!   Be Quiet!"

It was in Romanian, of course, but these were the only words we ever hear her speak. To hear them almost breaks your heart, because you also knew that when she was at home as a baby, these were the only words that she ever heard. They were her only means of verbal communication.

"Shut-up!   Be Quiet!"

After a few minutes of sitting I leaned forward and picked up a couple of small stones from between my feet and started to play with them and roll them around in my fingers. As I leaned forward I noticed, or at least I thought I noticed, that this little girl also leaned forward further, matching my movement, I also noticed that she had stopped her usual quiet chant. I looked over at her briefly, and for an instant she looked at me too, out of the corner of her eye.
I wasn't sure whether I was correct in what I had seen, so I decided to try again, and I leaned forward, slowly. As I did I looked at her and she too leaned forward further, matching what I did. As I sat back up I rocked slightly further back to match her movements and then, very slowly I continued rocking matching her movements exactly.
She was in charge, if at any moment she showed any sign of upset by what I was doing I would have stopped and if necessary moved away. Instead of being upset though I was aware of another movement from her, as well as rocking to and fro she slid herself slightly along the step to move a little closer to me. as she did so she also gave me another of her sideways glances, I knew I that she too was being as cautious with me as I was being with her, we were both trying each other out. This time though, she looked for a little longer, slid a little closer, and she smiled! It was only a very slight smile, but it was definitely a smile!
I felt great, in such a brief time, by doing something as simple as rocking backwards and forwards with her I had made some sort of contact with her, she knew it, I knew it, and although I had instigated it, almost by accident, she was the one making all of the decisions on how this contact would go.
We carried on rocking backwards and forwards, slowly, in unison, matching each others movements, but we were a team now, 'Rocking' in every sense of the word.
Slowly, bit by bit, millimetre by millimetre, she moved closer, I also moved closer to her, which seemed to give her confidence, it was almost like an invitation, and in no time, she was sitting right next to me.
She looked at me, fully into my eyes and she grinned!
It was an enormous grin too. It was almost as if she was saying;

"Got you!"

I just looked at her and I laughed, while she carried on grinning.
We had both stopped rocking, she became intent on my watch, holding my arm, playing with the strap. 
We sat like that for about twenty minutes, her holding tightly onto my arm, playing with my watch strap, and occasionally watching the volunteers and the other kids playing ball, and occasionally giving each other a little smile. 
While we were like that though she didn't say a word, although with another child that silence would have been worrying, with this little girl it was wonderful not to hear her chanting those horrible words, even for a little while.

Then one of the children's carers came out to call them all inside, to get ready for their evening meal. As she heard the call, the little girl grasped my arm a little more tightly, and at first I thought that she didn't want me to leave, but actually I think it was her way of saying goodbye. Within seconds though one of the other children arrived and sat on the other side of her, as he sat down she immediately let go of me and grabbed hold of his arm. 
This little boy, a little older than her, was her occasional companion, I had seen them together at other times, smiling at each other and arm in arm, just as the little girl and I had been. He had been playing ball with the other children until the call to go inside had come, at which time he had come over to escort her home.

Sometimes it really is just the littlest things that can make a moment so special. This was definitely one of those moments. Just a few minutes when I been allowed into the world of this little girl, a world that always seems so dark, so full of horrible history, but a world which I had just discovered also contained a little cheek, and a little absolutely normal childhood mischief.

How many more of those special moments do we have to come when we work with the children?
I know there will be many more moments, but how many could be as special as this?
I'll tell you for myself, there will be many many more moments and some even more special than this.

Steve

Wouldn't you like to come and create your own special moments? Moments like this that will last you a lifetime?                                               www.volunteerromania.co.uk

WITH VOLUNTEER ROMANIA AND THE CHILDREN - WHAT LIFE IS ABOUT

When I'm working with Volunteer Romania, I am as much of an unpaid volunteer as those people who come from all over the world are.
Unfortunately, I get very few chances to actually spend time with the children, my role is more of a support one, running people around, getting materials, doing most of the cooking (not many complaints there I'm pleased to say), etc. So, the chances that I do get are really precious to me, being with all of the children in the various places we work is such a pleasure, always full of smiles. I can't come away from a day when I have been with the children without feeling good, if absolutely dog-tired! (I really do wish children could give energy transplants too!)
The times that I do spend with the children will all stick in my mind forever, whether it be helping to teach English at The Waldorf School or just cuddling a young orphan at the children's home, every one of those times is such a special moment.

When we were asked to help to teach children here English, the first thing we did was ask the children what they would like to know about the UK.....although only a few of the children put their hands up it was a real mistake! The list was enormous! The kids who weren't confident of their English would tell the few who were what they wanted to know and for a short while it was Bedlum!
They wanted to know about all of the different regions in the UK, how 'one' country could be so many 'different' countries, and what the differences were with each.
I said OK that's what we will do, but set off home not really knowing how I could achieve something that seemed like such an enormous task in just five lessons over five weeks, and as soon as I got home started my research to make myself ready. Thank heavens for the world wide web!

We decided that the best thing to do was concentrate on each region separately, so I prepared Powerpoint presentations for each country, starting with Scotland. For each country we did our best to give a clear representation of the different customs, different countryside, different wildlife, different (and joint) histories. With Scotland the kids loved it when I put on my kitchen apron with a kilt on it to show the 'traditional' dress, but of course what they wanted to know most about was The Loch Ness Monster!........."Is it real Steve?"
We carried on talking about Northern Ireland and England itself following much the same subjects, but it was when we got to Wales that it really became fun. I don't know if many of you realize that Prince Charles has homes here in Romania, he loves the country for the same reasons we do. So to the kids he is as much 'Prince Charles of Romania' as he is 'The Prince of Wales' and it gave all the children a sense of being linked up with Wales somehow.
The lessons were a great laugh, and at one point the English teacher accused me of being more of a child than the kids in the class (which I have to admit is true).
The lessons seemed so chaotic to me, and even though I looked forward to each one, I wasn't too sure how much English the children were actually learning, or if they were really of any benefit at all.
When we had finished the initial set of five lessons, we were asked to continue, which I took as an enormous compliment. so, again, we asked the children what they would like to know about. This time when we asked, almost every child in the class put their hands up to ask for something and they all spoke to me in such clear English. It felt fantastic.
I'm not sure that they learnt anything new form us, but I do know that they became more confident in speaking.

Whenever we see any of those same children now, whether it is in town or at the school they all come running up and they talk..........In English!


It's a fantastic feeling.


English is so important, apart form still being the first language in the world in all of it's various forms, it is also the first language of computing, of the internet. having a base knowledge of the language is therefore so important to help these children on their way upwards in the world.


It's  a privilege to be able to assist in a small way with something that is so important, as well as being a real pleasure, and if I can do it, anyone can!    

Steve

www.volunteeromania.co.uk
www.holiday-romania.co.uk