Sital Lefebvre During my stay in Ghana, I chose to work at the New Life Orphanage. The orphanage holds forty-two children who love to break out in song and are naturally gifted at dancing. The age range varies from infants to late teens. The younger children look up to the older children who are given more responsibility, such as cooking, cleaning, and having the final say in arguments.

I was adopted from Calcutta, India when I was just five months old which is where my initial desire to volunteer stems from.  

A little girl named Martha was the first to approach me. Her head was fully braided with different colored beads at the ends making her impossible to miss. She asked for my name and it didn’t take long before we were friends. Martha disappeared into one of the numerous rooms and came back with three books, “Come, let’s read.” She hopped on my lap and we began to read a story about three mischievous elves. One by one, the children started huddling around us until I was surrounded by at least ten boys and girls. As soon as I would finish one book, the children made sure another was handed to me. We read the New Testament, played checkers, Frisbee, and jump rope. They were eager to learn how to use a computer, and improve their English.  

It was foreign to me how easily these children were able to open up their hearts and truly wanted your company. I have learned more from these children than I have in any class room. As an adoptee, my philosophy was if I knew someone was going to leave or that I would have to say goodbye, then there was no point in spending time with them and I would simply shut them out. For me, it was easier this way and a coping mechanism I used to protect myself from having to feel the loss, or what I interpreted to be abandonment.

What I have come to learn from these amazing children is their unconditional love for people. They have volunteers come and go all the time and yet they are able to appreciate and make the most out of the time they do have.  

“You have four loves” said Helen.
“What do you mean?” I asked. The little girl grabbed my hand and guided me to a wall with a picture of a pink heart.

“You have four hearts on your necklace, so you have four loves” she explained. I picked her up and smiled, “No, I have forty two loves now.”

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