I heard about the place while on the island of Naviti. Another traveler, a woman Lisa from Canada mentioned that she had been volunteering at a orphanage nearby the town I was staying in. Knowing that i had been a teacher she mentioned that there was a little 10 yr old girl there that specifically really needed help reading and that that could interest me. I agreed and when I returned from the islands Diane and I went to the orphanage and hung out with the staff and the 13 kids (17 now as I write this) . I LOVE Treasure House. It is a warm pleasant little house with little rooms full of children's beds, the walls are bright colors and stuffed animals and other toys line the shelves on the walls. The children smile so often they light up the rooms and the babies amazingly enough rarely cry and if they do, picking them up for a cuddle is the cure. The staff is full of warm cuddly women with a nice dose of firmness and sweetness, the are all called Mother. The staff is about 8 to 12 people that rotate day and night shifts. They usually have a baby on their laps. There is also a cook that makes all their meals. Treasure House is the main reason why it is getting so hard for me to get on a plane out of Fiji. The kids happily shout my name when I walk up the driveway. Some poke their little chubby hands through the openings in the fence so they can link their fingers with mine. As I get in the gate, little 3 year olds rush up and put their arms up to be held. I hold various kids and play with others for about 20 minutes then I make my way to Ana's room. she smiles her big beautiful smile and takes out her school books. For the next hour or two we go over her homework and then do reading and writing. During that time her three other roommates enter, there are two 16 year olds, so smart and thoughtful. Great, considerate, personable girls with gentle smiles and big sister sweetness. then the final roommates or house sister is another 10 year old, a funny girl that opens up a book of French words that is not part of her school work actually she found the book, she speaks topics she seems to grab from the air. I have grown to love these children, I wait in anticipation of wild difficult moments with them but after weeks and hours with them, those moments just do not come. Treasure House is a lovely little spot that is doing something so right, when I reflect upon my time working with foster youth in Seattle; not once do I recall walking into a foster home or children's home that even came close to the warmth and homeyness of Treasure House ....I arrived there in awe and expecting the awe to end but after volunteering there for about one month I have a strong feeling that I will be leaving there in awe....the staff, the children, the happy little house with a trampoline in the spacious front yard, it also has a new swing set :). the little living room with fluffy couches where three year olds like to climb, the cribs with smiling peaceful babies looking up at me with big brown eyes...the bath tub full of kids, oh I could go on and on. Treasure House is an inspiration to me, the staff, the children, the warm inviting energy. Thank you for everything!!!
(sorry if you read this twice, for some reason it also posted under July 14)
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