Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Anna Home



Sunday afternoon while Ray took Gaby to the airport, the team met up with Maarten (a dutch physician who volunteers in Mongolia, working with hospital administration) to go to Anna Home. 


Street children are a problem in Mongolia where abandonment is the most common reason children are left on their own. In the big cities (and small cities) of Mongolia, homeless children live underground where the steam pipes provide some heat. In Choibalsan, a karate instructor and generous soul - Boldsaikhan - began taking these children into his home. When he met Maarten in 2006, they worked together to found Anna Home; an NGO orphanage in Choibalsan. Currently 24 children live and thrive off of the street, in a safe and clean home. They have citizenship, healthcare, and go to school. They have a garden, chicken coop, soccer goals, computers, a fresh water well, and a loving home. 


We arrived at the orphanage and were met with smiles and enthusiasm. My camera got whisked away until i rescued it in the garden. I gave the kids my point and shoot for the remainder of our visit and this is the story they told . . . ALL of the pictures on this post are theirs. Even that sunflower - which is probably my favorite picture from the whole trip. 








please check out the Anna Home website if you want to learn more. http://www.allforchildren.info/index.php
PS. I am sending them a digital camera when i get home - if anyone wants to chip in, we can send a few.


3 comments:

Megan said...

Hey! I LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog! What you guys are doing is truly amazing and I am humbled by it! I wish I was there with you! Get home safe!!
-Meggers

dcr said...

I'll chip in!

Unknown said...

The pictures are soooo good. It reminds me the movie Born into Brothels. Have you seen it? If not, you must. You will love it. I will chip in for a camera. I think I have my old digital camera we can send too. I wish I could have gone with you guys. :(