Today we focused our attention on Aruu Telek, a home and a refuge for children and mothers. We had delivered a number of items to them yesterday but today we were to get involved, in much the same way as we did yesterday at Kadan.
The team at Aruu-Telek
When we arrived we were ushered into a room where the director gave us an introduction to the work of the hostel. It has been in operation for two years and relies very heavily on public donation from home and abroad, as it receives no government funding. The people that use the centre, mothers and children, come from far and wide and tend to stay there for a relatively short period. Problems they encounter that makes it necessary for them to seek refuge are the obvious abuses, but also alcoholism, an inability to cope with the responsibilities of parenthood, a wide range of circumstances. She expressed her gratitude to us and then asked if we could work on three things for the centre:
The flags being hung around the entrance to Aruu-Telek
Group 1, she wanted them to make flags to go around the entrance,
Group 2, to set up the play room by laying the rug, making the ball pool and running machine, setting up the TV and washing machine, while
Group 3 worked to tidy up the garden.
The tidied garden and team
All the materials were provided for the flag making, the setting up of the play room was easy, but the gardening had to be done with only two shovels, a pair of sheers and a wheel barrow. All three teams worked exceptionally well and by lunchtime all was done. To be honest, if we had had more tools and appropriate tools we could have done a better job in the garden, but it was not to be. I did offer to buy some plants to add instant colour to the garden in the newly revealed flower beds but Alex, our guide, suggested they could do that for themselves.
Enjoying the new ball pit
There were a number of mothers and children in the hostel and it was good to see the instant joy on their faces as they played with the new equipment.
After lunch we said farewell to out two minibus drivers as, tomorrow, we head off deeper into the Celestial Mountains in large trucks for the start of our trek. Bring it on!
