Yesterday I witnessed more joy on the faces of 10 skinny, malnourished street kids than I had witnessed on a person's face in a very long time. In their new bathing suits, the new batch of kids that just arrived from the detention center in Manila, had their first glimpse of the ocean...Well they had more than a glimpse- it was more of a free-for-all of running in the sand, splashing and swimming in the water, and practicing handstands and front flips on the beach.Upon their arrival, the 10 boys walked into the front courtyard of the Stairway Foundation empty handed and up the stairs to the dining area. We had formal introductions on in a circle on the stage, right underneath the sign that proudly procaims "Every Human Has Rights," and I was shocked to hear the children say their ages. These 10 kids, ranging in
age from 10-14, looked no older than 9 years old. Seeing them in comparison to the kids of the employees who live here at Stairway was an eye opener. Lancelot, 10, looks older and bigger than the 14 year olds. Zach, age 13, Lars and Monica’s son, towers over all of the kids by at least a foot.Many of the kids have visible skin diseases, and others have scars from cuts on their arms. I expected the kids to be shyer than they were, to act more jaded. But when we helped each one carry their shiny new wash basins with their 4 new pairs of clothes, a new bathing suit, toothbrush, flip flops, and other necessities, up to their dormitory to organize their new things, they acted like any other kid I have seen on Christmas.
We took "before" pictures of all the kids, to have something to compare and measure their physical healing and development over the next year. Then they headed down to the beach, washed up, and got ready for Izana's 6th birthday party at the main house. We had a big feast and watched a movie on the lawn in honor of Izana's birthday, the Philippines' Independence Day, and the arrival of the new batch of kids. (We had to explain to the kids that every day was not full of cake, movies, and parties!)
Over the past two days watching these kids at the beach, at Izana’s party, and at their orientation session, I have been very impressed with the way they act. They are all very polite and obedient. I don’t know if they are making good first impressions, or if they are afraid that they will get in trouble like they did at the detention centers if they acted out of line.
I am interested to see, in the coming days and weeks, how these kids interact with each other and the Stairway staff in other situations.
