Salomon Klein Volunteer Story - Jessica (Visited the orphanage in 2015)

I volunteered at Salomon Klein orphanage in early 2015 and worked with the youngest children in the organization (newborns to three-years-old). It was emotionally difficult at times; as you know, many of these children had been disposed of and would be found in dumpsters, under benches at a park, or be born to drug-addicted parents who did not have the mental capacity to care for them in any way, before ending up at the orphanage.

In addition to spending my days there with the children, I also helped plan and organize an event with friends in Cochabamba on “Children’s Day”, complete with entertainment, games, clowns and food. It was definitely one of the happiest moments of my life seeing these little children beam in joy and enjoy a special day that to most children is a normal occurrence. At the end of the day, these children really just wanted to be held and hugged, played with, sung to and provided the spiritual and emotional support that they had been lacking. Spending time there truly changed me forever. My heart was touched instantly from their contagious smiles and happy faces, despite having literally nothing.  I spent three months volunteering there and remember how difficult it was to head back to the States.  I fell in love with these children and wish I could have brought them all home with me.

​Jessica

#salomonKleinOrphanage #bolivia #orphans
NOTE: due to strict Bolivian laws regarding orphans, we have put sunglasses on the orphans to protect their identities.