Delegation Arrives

Posted by Sara Coggins, Kids Connection Manager

This morning the delegation arrived in Almaty at 5:45 am. After half an hour in customs and a hurried trip outside to send their luggage to Taraz, they went upstairs to check into their flight to Shymkent. They had just enough time to get on the flight before it left. In the frenzy, one piece of luggage may have been left behind. We will know better tomorrow whether the luggage all arrived safely in Taraz.

The delegates are tired, but overall feeling well. They are probably all in bed by now. We kept them pretty busy at the office in Shymkent. They had the opportunity to tour our office, see the work we do with children with Cerebral Palsy, visit with Crossroads, and get some helpful information about being in Kazakhstan.

For many, the highlight of the day was getting to spend time talking with students in a conversational English class. There were about twenty students and each delegate had a small group to talk with. At the end of the hour, the students didn't want to leave. Some of them exchanged email addresses.

Another highlight was getting to see the work that is done with children with Cerebral Palsy. There were about 7 children doing physical therapy when we went through for a tour. Many of the children came from a local orphanage. Often times children like this are given up by their parents. However, in this program many of the parents work together with the therapists to provide the physical therapy. As a result of this work, parents and children are able to see hope for their future.