Volunteer Experience: Karah

Born on June 18th, 2004, Zhao Zheng Liang is not your typical three-year-old. Considered in Shanghai Children's Home (SCH) as a special needs child because of his size, he wears clothes intended for a 12-18 month old. No one really knows why he is so small. The only answers I received were that he is just growing slowly and that he has no known health problems. Zhao has been knick-named Penguin by the caretakers. Since he is categorized as a special needs child and is small, the staff believes he is not smart enough to go to school with the other kids his age. I completely disagree with this assumption. Zhao is very intelligent, but has not been given many opportunities to learn.

I spent a lot of time playing with Zhao and one thing he loves is building with blocks. He is extremely particular about what block will stay on top of the other block. After only a few days into my trip to SCH, Zhao had my daily routine memorized. He didn't talk much, but he would point to everything I was going to do next before I did it. He would give me a huge smile knowing he was right. However, if I did something out of order, he would point insistently for me to go back and do it the way I normally would. From my observations, Zhao seems very smart, but his learning has been limited due to the stigma of being labeled a special needs child.

Zhao is an extremely caring and sensitive child. He observed me comforting crying children and when another child would cry he would point to them and say “mamma”, wanting me to go comfort them. I fed Zhao lunch almost everyday that I was there, and when I finished feeding him I would feed another child. I have never seen a child get so much joy from just watching his friend eat. He would smile and giggle at every bite his friend took. He is also very patient, Zhao never fought for my attention, but waited patiently for me to come to him. He was very obedient and never got out of his little chair to come sit in my lap like some children did.

As I mentioned, Zhao is very small for his age, but absolutely adorable and loving. He has huge dimples and a beautiful smile that touches everyone that is privileged enough to see it. Zhao has touched my life in a way I never thought possible and he will forever be in my thoughts and prayers.

Since I was 10 years old I have felt a special calling to help orphans in China. I knew God had a plan for me, but I never thought the time was now and that I would be going across the world. On July 18 I left my comfort zone in Texas and began my three-week adventure in China. I never thought that as a 20-year-old college student I would travel to China by myself to meet the precious faces I will never forget.

Monday was my much-anticipated first day in Shanghai Children's Home (SCH). I was overwhelmed with joy when I walked into the Snoopy room. The children were drawn to me and I could not wait to hold every one of them. I immediately knew that I was in the right place. The thought of what I was supposed to do or accomplish during my time at SCH was continually crossing my mind. I had a difficult time playing with the children in the Snoopy room because they were so obedient to sit in their chairs, but we spent time in the playroom every morning and afternoon coloring, building with blocks, and rolling balls. It was such a joy to see the children enjoy themselves and have fun. I thought it would be difficult to play with the children because of the language barrier, but I learned all children are the same when it comes to playing.

During my three weeks in SCH I was able to experience things other than just the Snoopy room. I got to see smaller babies and newborns, and one afternoon I went to a performance with the teenagers in their auditorium. I was taken care of on a daily basis by the lead teacher of the Snoopy room, Ms. Lilly. She got my lunch tray for me and made sure I was settled in every afternoon for my rest. She did not speak any English, but somehow everything important was understood between us.

I felt a special connection with the children in the Snoopy room. There was a particular boy, Zhao, that made each day such a joy. When I walked into the room, he patiently awaited my attention. He memorized my routine and would point to what I needed to do next. I was amazed that he caught on to me comforting crying children, and when he saw an upset child, he would point and say “mama”, wanting me to go and comfort them. Everyday I looked forward to feeding him and the other children. Zhao would finish his lunch and then enjoyed standing at my leg while I fed another child. He got so much gratification just from watching me feed his friends and would giggle at each bite they took. After lunch I would walk around the building for about 20 minutes with a child holding on to each one of my fingers. At naptime, I enjoyed helping the small children into their cribs and tucking them in. They would blow me kisses from their cribs as I left the room for lunch. At the end of the day I would go around the room to each child and hug and kiss them goodbye. The little girls loved to hold their tiny hands out for me to kiss.

I could tell stories all day about how precious the children were and how they touched my life. On the plane ride home I thought about the question I repeatedly asked myself, and learned that what I accomplished there was loving the children. Many needed to be held and loved, and I was able to give them that. I look forward to my return to SCH to care for more children and see their precious, unforgettable faces.