Oregon women changed by orphanage experience
Two Oregon women spent most of the summer volunteering at an orphanage in Africa and returned home forever changed.
"i don't think we really knew what we were getting into, but it was the best thing I've ever done," said Kaylee Todd, 21.
Farrell Tremble, also 21, agreed.
"I think it's an experience that really does change your life," she said. "It was the best two months of my life."
The two, who have been best friends since fourth grade, said their homecoming was bittersweet.
"We were ready to come home to showers and real food, but we didn't want to leave the children," Tremble said.
They spent seven weeks at the Amani Baby Cottage in Jinja, Uganda, helping to care for 55 orphans who ranged in age from newborns to five years old.
Todd said they quickly became attached to their charges, who have lost their parents due to ongoing wars and the AIDS epidemic.
"The kids jumped into our arms as soon as we got there," she said. "Seeing them smile just melts your heart."
"They were typical kids, just wanting some attention and someone to love them," Tremble said.
Both 2007 Oregon High School graduates, they became interested in volunteering at the orphanage after Tremble learned about it from a woman she knows from club volleyball in Rockford.
"My joy is children and it always has been. I thought it would be a good way to help children in need," Tremble said. "I knew Kaylee would be interested, too."
"I'm interested in the medical field in Africa," Todd said.
Tremble attends Lawrence University, Appleton, Wis., where she is majoring in psychology and social work.
Todd, a student at St. Louis University, St. Louis, Mo., is majoring in psychology and communication sciences and disorders.
After deciding they would go to Uganda, the two made their plans and started saving money for the trip. They paid their own airplane fares as well as rent and other expenses while in Uganda.
Local churches and organizations also provided a portion of the money.
Tremble and Todd left June 16, flying for eight hours from Chicago to London, where they had a long lay-over, and then another eight hours from London the Jinja, Uganda's second largest city.
They returned home Aug. 7.
Living conditions were not what the two are used to.
"The country is very poor," Tremble said. "The people have very little."
"It's all dirt roads and the power goes off often," Todd said.
"We were lucky to have electricity and running water at our orphanage," Tremble said.
Once during their stay the entire city ran out of water for three days, Todd said.
"We showered with baby wipes," Tremble said.
A typical day for them began at 8:30 a.m. when they worked with the children until 12:30 p.m., helping them get dressed, brush their teeth, and do preschool activities, such as learning letters and numbers.
The children speak both English and their native language Lugandan.
Tremble said she and Todd learned some Lugandan from the youngsters.
"We picked up the basic words we needed," she said.
After lunch, the women took a break until about 4 p.m. and then did with outside activities with the children, and helped with bath and bedtime.
"It was a very full day. We were tired," Tremble said with a smile.
Todd agreed. "We went to bed at 8:30 every night," she said.
The Amani Baby Cottage is owned and operated by Americans with the help of a small staff and volunteers, Tremble said.
Ugandan women called "mamas" are hired to help with the children. The rent paid by the volunteers like Tremble and Todd helps pay the "mamas."
The children's needs — such as clothing, food, and vitamins — are purchased with donations from Americans.
The orphanage also conducts programs to feed street orphans.
"Kids without parents just live in their villages and try to survive," Todd said.
Both women said their view of life was changed drastically by their trip.
"Since we've been back we feel like what we're doing is pretty worthless compared to what we were doing over there," Todd said.
"I made a list of what I would never complain about again," Tremble said. "But then it was pretty much my whole life — like having water to brush your teeth, and then having parents and a home to call your own.".
Both hope to return to the orphanage.
"I would go back tomorrow if I could," Todd said.
