Home for Orphans and the disabled

Last Saturday my social worker friend, Loan, invited me to go with her to visit a young 14 yr old boy that she had placed in an orphan home the previous month. He has no parents and was just roaming the streets. The home is run by an NGO here in the city and is managed by a French woman. She is the only place that is known to care for paraplegic's. She actually has three different centers that provide training for jobs for the residents and also one that has a pool for the disabled. There are around 60 residents of the faciity the youngest being the cutest 8 yr old who loves attention and to talk and the oldest being a 50 year old gentlemen who was injured in a fall at a construction site over 14 years ago. He takes many of the boys under his wing and helps them adjust. We got to the home around 3 pm on a Saturday but the kids were in school. Yes the schools are open on Saturdays. We decided to walk to a cafe nearby and the youngest little guy, who had not gone to school that day accompanied us. He was regaling us with stories about himself and he loved my friend's camera that had a touch screen. Finally 5 pm arrived the time they return from school and Tu' arrived at the cafe. We bought the boys drinks and had a great time talking. We then went back to the home and I got to meet the manager and get a tour. These kids have a bed with a blanket, three changes of clothing and their school supplies. They are proved with one meal at the home, which is dinner, money for breakfast or whatever they desire to spend it on and then the wchool provides lunch. I could see that these kids loved the manager and were like family to each other. It was good to know that such places exist for those who need and want them. There are still many who don't want to live in homes so they stay on the streets until caught by the authorities and then sent to other not so great facilities. It was a great day that we ended with a Thai dinner.