Routine Life at the Orphanage

our kids at the local church school

The day begins at sunrise around 5.30am, with both hymns and prayers. On completion it is a brush up and shower time with the children passed out their individual tooth-brushes and the older children helping out the little ones in an orderly line.

As the children complete their wash, they gather in the food tent and wait quietly for their friends to finish, before breakfast which is often bread and peanut-butter sandwiches and a third of a cup of apple juice, Haitian tea (brown and salty), or orange cordial. When the last child has washed, they eat all together and much needed vitamin supplements are passed out.

Once completed, the children go about their chores around the camp, from washing up, tidying the shared bedroom tent, to sweeping up and tidying around the site.

At about 8am it´s time for class. All schools were reopened on the 5th this month following their complete closure after the 12th January earthquake, and our kids head off down the rubble-filled street to the Methodist church school.

At least our kids had the benefit of being educated during this period at the orphanage under the expertise of Mme Nadia.

Lunch is served around 12.30 and the community enjoy their meal all together.

After lunch, it is time for rest and relaxation, for it is far too hot for school classes. Several of the older children get on with independent work whilst the youngsters either enjoy quiet play or hang out in the television room. Children take turns to use the only toilet facility on site. It´s too hot to do a great deal.


More food is served around 7pm, and again the all the staff eat together under the food tent. By 8.00, preparations begin for bed-time, brush-ups and pj time. Hymns and prayers last some half an hour, before the kids and helpers settle down for sleep under the same tent. Wilkens and i enjoy private quarters in a neighbouring tent. With the arrival of the rains – at the moment a couple of hours in the night, we have been somewhat flooded and increasingly swampy.

On Saturday morning, Wilkens puts his ex-marine skills into good use by running PE classes and Sundays of course is special here, with the children dressed in all their finery heading to church.

join Wilkens´ workout on Saturday mornings