My role: childcare and healthcare volunteer
Me holding two toddlers
This past summer, I spent eight weeks working with a French NGO called Vivre Ensemble ("Live Together" in French) in M'Bour, Senegal. Vivre Ensemble is an orphanage that takes care of over 200 children, from pre-mature babies up until age 18.
Most of the interns and volunteers at the orphanage come from France, Canada, and other French-speaking nations. The volunteers are expected to be fairly independent and choose how they are going to spend their time at the orphanage. Many of the French volunteers stay in the Néonatalogue, the newborn section, or the Grande Enfance, the section for older kids who entered the orphanage after age 3. My site partner and I chose to spend most of our time in the Grande Section, the section for toddlers. My typical day usually involved:
I also spent part of my time volunteering in the orphanage's infirmary and the Free Clinic for the community located next door to the orphanage. As a healthcare volunteer, I helped with:
Most of the interns and volunteers at the orphanage come from France, Canada, and other French-speaking nations. The volunteers are expected to be fairly independent and choose how they are going to spend their time at the orphanage. Many of the French volunteers stay in the Néonatalogue, the newborn section, or the Grande Enfance, the section for older kids who entered the orphanage after age 3. My site partner and I chose to spend most of our time in the Grande Section, the section for toddlers. My typical day usually involved:
- Aiding the maternal assistants (the children's caretakers) in whatever way I could
- Changing diapers
- Bathing the children
- Helping feed the children during meals
- Taking the group out on walks or to play outside
- Holding and playing with the children
- Showing them love and compassion to the best of my abilities
I also spent part of my time volunteering in the orphanage's infirmary and the Free Clinic for the community located next door to the orphanage. As a healthcare volunteer, I helped with:
- Giving the children medicine
- Treating diaper rash
- Treating minor injuries and infections
- Observing patient consults
- Helping the nurses with whatever they needed
So What Now?
My role now is to continue to advocate for children, since they cannot advocate for themselves. I would like to eventually translate this website to French, since most of the volunteers at Vivre Ensemble are French-speaking. I hope that this site might serve as an additional resource for them. Additionally, I can share with others these children’s stories, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the orphanage, and promote what is currently being done to address children's vulnerability in Senegal. Opening up dialogue about these issues is an important first step.
Since returning to the orphanage does not seem plausible in the near future, I hope to continue my work there by spreading awareness about the importance of adult interaction with children in terms of child development. Children learn by observation and interaction. Meaningful interaction during those first years of life is essential for a healthy transition into adolescence and adulthood. This is not only to help the children in the orphanage, but also is valuable information for people to know when working with children anywhere in the world. Lastly, I hope to eventually return to West Africa as a physician with Doctors Without Borders, where I might address issues that lead to overcrowding in the orphanage, such as maternal health.
My role now is to continue to advocate for children, since they cannot advocate for themselves. I would like to eventually translate this website to French, since most of the volunteers at Vivre Ensemble are French-speaking. I hope that this site might serve as an additional resource for them. Additionally, I can share with others these children’s stories, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the orphanage, and promote what is currently being done to address children's vulnerability in Senegal. Opening up dialogue about these issues is an important first step.
Since returning to the orphanage does not seem plausible in the near future, I hope to continue my work there by spreading awareness about the importance of adult interaction with children in terms of child development. Children learn by observation and interaction. Meaningful interaction during those first years of life is essential for a healthy transition into adolescence and adulthood. This is not only to help the children in the orphanage, but also is valuable information for people to know when working with children anywhere in the world. Lastly, I hope to eventually return to West Africa as a physician with Doctors Without Borders, where I might address issues that lead to overcrowding in the orphanage, such as maternal health.