Annemieke Van Der Poel's visit to CHIPROM

A Letter From Ann:

MY TRIP TO NIGERIA

Since the end of March 2008, I have been spending time at the Children of Promise Ministries. At this Children’s Transition Home, a whole team of wonderful people are trying to give these children a sense of home. By giving the children a roof over their head and providing them with food, the general welfare of the children is secured. But giving basic care is not what CHIPROM is all about. Of course the basic care is considered very important, but what stands out the most is the love that all the people who are connected to CHIPROM are giving to the children. Saying you love a child is easy, but showing true love to children under these circumstances is something else.

Coming from another country (Netherlands) with a very different culture, I didn’t know what to expect. Fortunately within my first few days, the people of CHIPROM have welcomed me with open hands into the CHIPROM family making me feel I belong there. Being there very often, I can say firsthand that even though the children are not their biological children, everyone there treats them as their own and shows his or her love to them. Just hearing the laughter of the children and seeing the smiles on their faces tells you that this is really true.

Because of CHIPROM’S generosity, I have tasted many typical Nigerian foods and have seen many places I otherwise wouldn’t have seen at all. Moreover, everyone has tried to teach me to dance Nigerian style and to teach me the Yoruba language. The love they show for the children has reached me too and it has filled my heart with gratitude. I haven’t had one moment of regret coming to Nigeria and working at CHIPROM and I hope that many more volunteers will come here to experience the warmth of the people of CHIPROM themselves. The people of CHIPROM don’t just make the children feel at home, they also make me feel at home and since my real home is pretty far away, I think that is quite amazing!

Ann

Suzanne (2nd left), a friend of CHIPROM from Canada, visiting with the children with Ann (2nd from Right), taken in May 2008.	Ann with some of the children.	Annemieke Van Der Poel at the front of the children's home concluding her volunteer experience at CHIPROM from Holland.