|
 |
|||||||||
Hopes and Dreams
|
||||||||||
| A short drive inland from Clube Praia da Oura
will bring you to the Los Pirilampos Orphanage. As you drive up the
single track, you'll be welcomed with open arms by dozens of
cheerful children playing outside in the sunshine. "Welcome to
Los Pirilampos", they beamed. It was great to see so many cheerful, mischievous faces. And on their day off too! |
 |
|||||||||
|
|
.... read more | |||||||||
|
 |
"No school today" our translator
said. And the sun was out too on this pleasant February day. Our Saturday
morning visit obviously excited the children, who played on rope swings
and climbing frames in the huge orphanage garden. Los Pirilampos is now home to 50 youngsters. They come from all backgrounds and walks in life, and include tiny babies, 18-year old teenagers and children of all ages in between. |
||||||||
|
All are 'victims' of unfortunate circumstances and many are wards of
court - abandoned by parents who can't afford to keep them,
don't want them, or have abused them. But many, against all the odds, go on to achieve greater things in education and sport. It's obvious that the 12 staff at this tiny orphanage try to create a caring environment conducive to a family home. As we walked in, there were games and books everywhere, a television blaring, drawings on the walls - indeed, everything you might expect in the 'normal' home. Only, in this case, it's an orphanage, where staff do their best to create a meaningful environment for these disadvantaged youngsters. During the week, all children attend local primary and secondary schools (with creches for the younger ones) and their daily life is much as it would be for any normal youngster: breakfast, packed off to school, dinner in the evening when they get home from school, homework in the evening (which they all want to do!) and they're usually tucked up in their dorms by 9.30! But one can imagine the fun of getting 50 (rather than two or three) children to bed and, more importantly, to sleep! CPO has been supporting the orphanage for many years now but more needs to be done to keep these youngsters' "hopes and dreams" alive. New equipment as well a improvements to the orphanage - and a minibus - came about largely through its association with the resort. |
||||||||||
| CPO delight
|
Looking to the future
It's obvious
that space is already at a premium at the orphanage.
|
 |
 |
And
there's obvious delight when the children hear the words Clube Praia
da Oura