During the times we visit the Aroma Children’s Homes to deliver their provisions, we usually have requests from the caretakers for us to spend more time with them and the kids. So it was decided that we should arrange for a group of people to come and spend time with the children on a more personal level.
I then invited a Church Group to join us one Sunday to play and sing with the children. They agreed gladly, and thirty people from the ages of 6 to 60 arrived at the Aroma Homes on the 18th of November interact with the children.
After hiring a bus, the Church Group traveled to the homes, arriving at 11.00 am. The children initially looked wary of the newcomers, but we gathered them into the hall and after introducing ourselves started with a few songs that they knew. There were two boys whom we brought along who accompanied us on the guitar. The younger children joined in the singing with gusto, while the older ones gradually warmed up. The children sang such songs that they knew, such as ‘ I am Happy Today’ and ‘Building up the Temple’ while the Church also taught them songs like ‘Give Me Oil in My Lamp’, which they picked up quite fast.
After the initial ice was broken through the songs the children were divided into 3 age groups with members of the Church Group with each set of children. The smaller children aged 4 to 10 years played games such as ‘Duck, Goose’ while the older ones played more involved games.
There was an amazing amount of energy in the children, and the Church Group were hard put to keep up with them! The children made no distinction between their friends and the Church Group and tagged the visitors with as much strength as they used on their mates. The games went on for an hour despite the noon sun. It took some effort to halt the play and send the children for their lunch break, but after some cajoling it was managed. While waiting for the children’s lunch preparations to be completed, one of the Church members related a short story to the kids on the importance of being united.
After lunch was over, the Church Group conducted a crafts session for the children, dividing them into four groups. The smallest group (4 and 5 years of age) made teddy bears by tying ribbons around squares of sponge, and painting faces on. The children from 5 years to 10 years of age stuffed plastic bags with saw dust and tied off the ends to make it look like a face. Then with the help of paints and ribbons, they made it looks like the face of a stuffed toy. The older kids (up to the age of 15) had saucers given to them which they blackened over a candle flame. With a twig they then drew pictures through the soot and poured varnish over it to seal the picture. The oldest kids (16 years old and over) had squares of glass given to them as well as glass paint. They painted scenes on the glass, and their names, and whatever design caught their fancy.
Their involvement was evident as it was hard to get them to come back to the hall to close up the program.
Once the children gathered back in the hall, a church member asked them some questions on their ideas of peace, and they responded by saying that to them, peace meant unity, and you can gain nothing by fighting. A few songs were sung and the program concluded with a prayer from a Church member. While the children were still seated, the members distributed an apple and two chocolates each to all the children, leaving more chocolates to be distributed later.
A girl from the Aroma Homes then went up and thanked us for coming and prayed for the people who came. The Church Group left, feeling tired but quite happy after spending time with the children.
