It’s been quite a year, for local volunteer Mark Robinson.
In updating friends and volunteers, Robinson said that earlier this year, three volunteer teams (each for two weeks) travelled to the NPH orphanage in the Dominican Republic (this was the group’s fifth year).
The group’s was featured within the Wellington Advertiser earlier this year – that story is still available online.
Robinson said volunteers were kept busy with construction, ‘handyman’ jobs, painting, welding, helping at the school, helping the caregivers and children, working with the medical team seeing to the needs of the orphanage children, staff and outside villagers.
Due to the devastating earthquake which hit Haiti on Jan. 12, the focus of many team members was changed.
Shipping containers of relief supplies arrived at the port from all over the world and had to be transported to the orphanage.
Robinson said each team devoted time to unloading, storing and re-loading onto the bus and trucks. Convoys left the orphanage for Haiti (a 12 hour trip to St. Damien’s Pediatric Hospital in Taberre – a suburb of Port-au-Prince) three times a week with supplies that were urgently needed.
The Shelters for Haiti project was put into place here in the spring and in mid-October, a container with 90 shelters left Ontario destined for Haiti.
Another shipment will leave Nova Scotia at the end of January 2011.
Robinson said there are still opportunities to sponsor a home for a family in Haiti.
Cost is only $500 with cheques payable to Friends of the Orphans Canada (Fotocan) (note in the memo line – ‘Haiti Shelter’) can be mailed to Fotocan, 470 Industrial Ave., Woodstock, ON, N4S 7L1.
For those wishing to make a donation via VISA or Master Card, please call Ruth Blass at the Fotocan Office 519-421-1992.
Robinson noted that the 2011 team members (about 145 volunteers) are busy getting ready for their trip to the NPH orphanage in the Dominican Republic.
A new addition to the schedule is a trip to help at the NPH orphanage in Haiti.
Ten members of each 2 week team will travel to the NPH orphanage in Haiti to work on ‘handyman’ jobs for one week … depending on the cholera situation.
Robinson noted that this past September, a small volunteer team of 12, journeyed to Haiti to work at the NPH orphanage in the mountains about two hours north of Port-au-Prince.
That group set to work painting, doing some electrical work, making special benches for the therapist, repairing computers and spending time with the children.
“During the first week in November, Ken Speers, Peter King and myself visited the NPH orphanage in Nicaragua in preparation of the team in 2011 making their first trip.”
Robinson included a copy of the e-mail he’d sent to Canada from the orphanage.
“We arrived safe and sound in Managua via Sans Salvador. Roul from the orphanage met us at the airport, loaded our bags and ourselves onto and into the truck and headed to the orphanage – about one and a half hours away. The highways are better than what I remembered from 2003.
“The children planned a special barbecue for us about 8 p.m. (10 our time) – chicken, salad, beans, and flatbread – all good. The older children treated us to traditional Nicaragua dances, all outside by the light of one bulb on a power pole – many hugs of greeting and welcome.
“Everyone is up about 5:30 a.m. to do chores and prepare to leave for school. The children here presently attend school off site until the main school building is completed. The orphanage is a bee-hive of activity. They have a number of houses completed and there are 60 of the 16 year and older children living on site.”
“We met with a number of key people at various times to talk about their needs, building schedule, projects, wish list, activities with the children and had a look at the site plan. It is very impressive when you see the site plan and do a walk-about on the property – 200 acres with many breathtaking views,” he said.
“Our short time here has been busy and productive and we can now see that the 2011 Nicaragua orphanage trip will be a very rewarding time for both the volunteers and also the children and staff.
“If you would like to try something different . . . . always wanted to volunteer and make a difference, consider a volunteer trip to the NPH orphanage in Nicaragua. The NPH orphanage in Nicaragua will become our focus in the years to come.
The cost is $2,500 – a tax receipt is available upon request For more information or to become a member of this team, please contact the team leader, Peter King at pbjking@wightman.ca”
He added additional information can be gained by emailing him at m.v.robinson@hotmail.com
