Sy sit langbeen saam met my onder die bome, regoor die braaivleisplek waar daar wors vir middagete gebraai word.
Sy is sowat ‘n week gelede saam met haar kleinboet, wat op haar skoot sit, by die Kinderhuis opgeneem. Hy word in Januarie twee, en praat glad nie. Hy hardloop ook nie rond soos die ander kinders van sy ouderdom nie. Hy wil net by sy sussie wees.
Sy is 10 jaar oud en baie spraaksaam. Haar blonde kuifie het ‘n effense wip en haar bruin ogies is vol lewe.
Ek vra of sy al maatjies gemaak het. “Ja, Tannie, ek en Nikita is maats, maar ek hou eintlik baie van Purdy”. Purdy is die Kinderhuis se terapie-hond. “Ek speel baie lekker saam met haar. Tannie Helen (Maatskaplike Werker) laat toe dat ek saam met hom hardloop en hom drukkies gee.”
Sy is duidelik mal oor diere.
Dog die volgende versoek vang my onkant: “Tannie, kan ek, wanneer my 90 dae verby is, van die honde wat nie huise het nie, Kinderhuis toe bring?” (Wanneer ‘n kind in ‘n kinderhuis geplaas word, gee ons aan hulle ‘n grasie-periode van 90 dae om in die kinderhuis aan te pas. Dit sluit in dat hulle nie die gemeenskap waaruit hulle verwyder is, gedurende hierdie tyd mag besoek nie.)
Ek verduidelik waarom dit beter is om nie sommer met enige hond vriende te maak nie, want sommige honde is mos nie aan kinders gewoond nie, en voeg toe by dat ons ongelukkig nie ook nog honde op die perseel sal kan akkommodeer nie.
Die hartseer trek op haar gesiggie sal my ‘n ewigheid bybly. Dit was pynlik om te besef dat sy intens jammer voel vir hawelose diere sonder huise, terwyl sy self nou eintlik nie ‘n ouerhuis het nie en die Kinderhuis as haar eie huis sal móét aanvaar.
Een eienskap wat soos ‘n goue draad deur ons kinders se persoonlikhede loop, is hulle omgee vir mense en diere wat swaarkry.
Die terapeutiese gebruik van diere om sorg te verbeter, is ‘n integrale deel van ons terapieprogram by Durbanville Kinderhuis. Laat my asseblief weet by jstrauss@dchome.org.za indien u dalk meer inligting oor die program wil hê, of as borg meer betrokke wil raak.
Dankie dat u ons kinders ondersteun.
She sits with me under the trees across the fire pit, where sausages are being grilled for lunch.
She arrived about a week ago with her little brother, who sits on her lap. He turns two in January and doesn’t speak at all. He also doesn’t run around like other kids his age; he just wants to be with his sister.
She is 10 years old and very talkative, her blonde fringe has a slight bounce and her brown eyes are full of life.
I ask her if she has already made friends: “Yes Aunty, Nikita and I are friends, but I really like Purdy.” Purdy is the new therapy dog at the Children’s Home. “I enjoy playing with her. Aunty Helen (social worker) allows me to run and play with her and give her hugs”.
She clearly loves animals.
Her next sentence catches me off guard; “Aunty, when my 90 days are over, can I bring some of the dogs that don’t have homes to the Children’s Home? A dog shelter is like a children’s home but just for dogs. If I bring them here, then we are all together.” (When a child is placed in an orphanage, we give them a grace period of 90 days to adjust to the children’s home. This includes not visiting the community from which they were removed during that time.)
I explain why it is better not to make friends with just any dog, because some dogs are not used to children. And we also do not have space for more dogs.
It was so sad for me to realise that she feels sorry for animals without homes and she doesn’t have a home either. She now has to accept the Durbanville Children’s Home as her own home.
One quality that runs like a golden thread through our children’s personalities is their care for people and animals that are suffering.
The therapeutic use of animals to improve care, is an integral part of our therapy program at Durbanville Children’s Home. Please let me know at jstrauss@dchome.org.za, if you would like more information about the program or would like to become more involved as a sponsor.
Thank you for supporting our children.