This year we had a complete different holiday. We stayed home and through Kinderhulp Europa we had a young child visiting us for 3 weeks. This organisation cares for approx. 2500 kids from all over Europe that do not receive the care and attention at home that they deserve.

We had a 7 year old boy from Berlin visiting us and to be honest did not knwo what to expect. Only after a few day it became clear what was wrong and I did honestly not know that it in a modern Western Europe children grew up this way.

K. had the mental abilities of a 4-year old child, could hardly speak any decent German and still wet himself during day and night. He was covered with dirt and dust upon arrival, doesn't go to school and had big problems with eating. This was mainly due to his teeth. After visiting our dentist it showed that he had never had any dental care and that his teeth were allmost all rotten down to the roots and nervs. Our dentist had never seen anything like it and was heavily upset. He stated that it was impossible to eat eat any food without enormous pain. 

Apparently there are lots of people who think that raising a child does not involve any more than providing food, clothes and a place to sleep. A child however needs time, energy and attention to discover the world. How else should a kid learn to speak if nobody talks to him?  How should a kid know how good it feels to hug and to feel safe and comfortable in your parents arms if it is never touched? How should a kid learn to play and interact with others if it never comes outside?

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Deze website is voor het laatst bijgewerkt op 26.09.2008