Daily routine at Elshaddai

The daily routine at Elshaddai is more or less like yours, except with more difficulties and less resources.

The big kids raise around 5:30 am to prepare breakfast (porridge) for the whole house. The rest wakes up around 6 am, get dressed in their school uniforms and sit at the courtyard to have their first meal of the day. Ya and I get to the orphanage around 6:30 am so we can bring additional food for their breakfast, normally it's jam and toast. We've tried ham and toast once but it didn't gain much popularity as the jam and toast. They've never seen ham before and asked me what was the pink thing between the toast.

After breakfast they will queue up to use the bathroom and wash their faces. One bucket of water for 23 kids. 

Kids who attend public school (age above 11) bring their own lunch to school, normally prepared the night before. 

For the other kids that attend private school, we have to walk 25 minutes under the scorching hot sun and bring them lunch from the orphanage. 

We lunch together, and later on join their afternoon classes, assisting with teaching or playing.

  

After school we spend time with the kids at the orphanage. With the donations from friends, we were able to buy puzzle games and toys for the kids, something they never had before. 

Look at Eric's proud smile when he finished the first puzzle in his life. 

They can't afford electricity bills so they have to spend the night in the dark. However, it doesn't stop them from having some fun singing around the kerosene lantern.