Bahraini orphans find safe haven in Batelco Orphan House

TDT | Manama                                                               

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Reported by Julia Cassano  

Selflessness, trust, and determination are only some of the qualities that it takes to grasp the responsibility of caring for Bahraini orphans. Our Responsibility, a group of volunteers inspiring change for Bahraini orphans, reveals the reality of the difficult yet rewarding job of taking children in as if they were their own.

"It’s about helping people," Rayana Sayyar told The Daily Tribune. Rayana is on the Board of Directors of the Batelco Orphan House and a loving volunteer, giving her time and expertise as an architect to inspire real change and, most importantly, take action in the community.

Explaining the true reality of the Batelco Orphan House, she said it has the most severe case of orphans on the island, and more help is needed. "It’s heartbreaking," Rayana shared. "Children are usually abandoned on the streets, dropped off at hospitals, or given in boxes as parents cannot properly raise the children for a multitude of reasons," she said.

She, however, highlighted the tremendous community, services, and work that are performed by the volunteers to give the children a safe space, a community, and, most importantly, love. "Some days can be challenging. It is impossible to clear your mind of the situations these children came from.

And although they are safe now, it is harrowing as many of the children are not aware of who their parents are. "But our goal is to provide as much care and love as possible, and seeing the smiles on the children’s faces when you give them love and care makes the challenges and hard work worth it," she said.

Challenges

When raising children, there will always be challenges. But some challenges pose more complications than others in the long run. Rayana revealed that 50 percent of the children don’t possess documentation.

"It’s extremely difficult," she relayed. "Building towards the future gives everyone involved hope. But when the children are given to us without documentation, it is difficult to give them the independence to work once they are ready or to attend university."

In addition, the orphanage is at full capacity with a lack of staff, and this has been extremely challenging trying to stabilise their home. Although there may be challenges, the selfless volunteers and heartwarming children unite to build a better space and environment each day.

Rayana said that although the children’s situation is not ideal, they are just happy to create bonds and live in a stable environment. "As we lack decent space for the children, they are often forced to share rooms, and each teenager is assigned to take care of a newborn, taking on this type of responsibility at a very young age, but luckily, we continue to make the best out of what we are given."

Nevertheless, volunteers don’t let the challenges dictate the outcomes. "Our responsibility here is to help people and help others," Rayana said. "This all started with the intention of giving back in the way that I knew best.