Teenage Girls and Limosuines

Posted by Ember Mumaw, Intern




There are 10 girls in the older girls group at Saramoldeava orphanage. Usually for women’s day they go to a movie or bowl and then have dinner. This year Sara came up with the great idea to take the girls on a limo ride! Limos are popular here for weddings when the entire party of young people will drive crazily about town, blowing their horns, stopping to take pictures, and making quite a ruckus. In requesting permission the caretakers and directors were supportive some saying that even they had not been in a limo before. Here are some pictures from the girls time, evidence of the fantastic day they had and just how special we were able to help them feel!

Women's Day in Two Acts

Posted by Ember Mumaw, Intern

Act One. Location: Ulan orphanage.Cast: Female staff
With food, music, games, and dancing, the Ulan orphanage staff celebrated Women’s Day. Interlink Director, Beth Turnock, attended to give a small speech of encouragement to the women and hand out gift certificates to thank them for their service to the children. Beth said she certainly had fun participating in singing games and other competitions!

Act Two. Location: Ulan orphanage. Cast: The children
The children had a party of their own that Interlink was not able to attend. Instead, Ember, Kiizhan, and Moldir were able to go room to room delivering words of encouragement and small gifts (nail polish) to each girl. In the smallest group we also gave out Kinder eggs which are chocolate eggs enclosing a toy. The children were happy to celebrate and thankful to have been remembered by their American friends.

Bearing Fruit For Women's Day

Over the next few days, there will be some posts describing what we did to celebrate International Women's Day (March 8th) at the orphanages. This is a big holiday in Kazakhstan during which all girls and women are honored.

Posted by Ember Mumaw, Intern

Our van was full of the smell of fresh apples and oranges on our most recent trip to Savva orphanage. In response to the children’s need and in celebration of Women’s Day we gave an apple and an orange to each child. Fruit is expensive to purchase in the winter and often the orphanage children have diets that are starch overloaded with some meat and dairy. In some rooms the fruit was devoured before we even left! It was such a joy to be a part of giving something that was not only wanted, but so good for the children. For Women’s Day we wanted to communicate to each girl how special she was, that we were proud of her, and had hope for her future success. The older girls were given a nail polish of their choice and the little girls received combs and hair bows. This was the beginning of our Women’s Day celebrations here in Kazakhstan.