“I want to help sick people.” — The wish of a girl in a Colombian orphanage

Text and photos /“Travel Observation Diary from Northern Europe”by Huang Yuyang

I accidentally encountered a group of angels in Colombia.

By a twist of fate, I got to know a group of Germans and Canadians working at a local orphanage. I went with them to visit the children. The moment I arrived, they grabbed my arms, eager to play hide-and-seek. They kept tugging at my clothes, wanting to talk to me. Unfortunately, my Spanish wasn’t good enough to converse with them. Later, because I was so eager to understand their stories, I asked the children some questions, with the Canadians helping to translate.

An 11-year-old girl, M.
“Do you have any brothers or sisters? Are they here with you too?”
“I have two younger sisters. One of them was supposed to come here too, but she has brain cancer.”
“Do you like coming here to study? Why?”
“Yes, I’ve learned how to share instead of fighting, and how to respect others and the teachers. I’ve also learned not to take things that don’t belong to me.”
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
“I want to be a doctor. I want to help sick people.”

The actual conversation was longer than this, but just those few sentences moved me deeply. It didn’t sound like something a child would say. Later, the Canadian told me that even if she really wants to become a doctor, given her family’s situation, if she doesn’t go to school, the most she could probably become is a nurse. The world can sometimes be really unfair.

There was one little boy I really wanted to talk to. He seemed quieter than the others, with a wary look in his eyes. Unlike the other kids who excitedly shouted when they saw us, I asked someone about his story. They said his father hanged himself two years ago, his mother is sick, and he started selling drugs on the street when he was just eight years old. No wonder — a child under ten, yet his eyes were full of vigilance. His childhood had no cotton candy or hide-and-seek, only death, despair, and helplessness. We all decided not to bring up the subject again, not to touch his painful memories. We just told him: you’ve been found, you’re safe now, you don’t have to live like that anymore. Study hard, and you can become a whole person.

The founder of this organization was also a child who grew up on the streets. I’ve heard too many such stories. The orphans and street kids of those days didn’t want their stories to repeat themselves, so they founded these organizations to help children just like they once were.

It’s called an orphanage, but it’s really just a space enclosed by four concrete walls. The Germans and Canadians who volunteer here hope to build them a kitchen by early next year. Without a kitchen, the children here can only eat snacks and can’t have proper meals.

Everyone has something they can do. We’re not powerless. I know some might say, there are children in Taiwan who need help too, so why help abroad? But I didn’t deliberately choose to come here to help them — I just happened to meet them. The things they’re striving for may sound like humble wishes. Actually, school isn’t expensive — as long as the children buy a uniform, they can attend. But they can’t even afford the uniforms.
I privately decided to buy a uniform for the girl who wants to be a doctor, hoping she can go to school. It might not be easy, but maybe one day she’ll really become a doctor and save someone’s life.

You don’t have to change the world. Even if you change just one person’s life because of you, that’s enough.