The Singing Orphans
by Peter Tan
Tucked in the outskirts of Batam
Center is a row of run down shop houses. The road that leads to this place is
filled with uneven gravels and potholes. The surrounding is deserted and
lonely. There are only a few occupants left in the complex. Somewhere in the middle
of it lies a home for the poor, needy – the fatherless & motherless.
All 43 children, ages 2-15 years old,
huddled together in a raw no electricity building they called home. The floor is rough, it can cut your bare feet
if you are not careful, certain part of the floor is flooded because of a
leaked pipe, poor ventilation makes it hot & humid, and nightly visits by
mossies left by open windows. There are no pillows to sleep on, just mattresses that are long gone, soiled &
soft, etc the list of bad goes on.
Is there any bright ray of light
behind the cloud of despair? I thought deeply and sadly about the plight of
these gentle souls the first time I visited- they who come to this earth and
enter into sufferings innocently. Last weekends, 25 Friends of Riau (FOR), went to give moral
& material support to this orphanage, we bought basic groceries & sweet
gift packs to cheer them. By the time the day is over, we were so grateful for
we were deeply touched by their “offerings”.
I thought that I heard angels sang. Yes,
some thirties toddlers & teens in the hands-me-down clothes, out dated
musical set, stood on a worn out floor mat, sang and dance for us. It was not
the best of vocal rendition or the polished footsteps that you expected to see
or hear. It was not their quality of their voices or technique, but how they
sang. For, when the children sang, and all thirties plus of them, the earth
shook below me, sweet energies filled the air and your body begin to open up all
the way. They reached you from their inner souls and
poured out whatever pure love in them to yours. No holding back, it is like 10,000
watts rms of pure, unadulterated hi
fidelity soul sound coursing through your body. Something about the way they sang makes me
wanna cry, and I was not alone. The
children sang in Indonesian and in English, in unisons, duet or solo
accompanied by guitars and occasional drums. At the end of the fifth and last song,
I felt peaceful & calm.
It was totally therapeutic! We all
felt good vibration stirring in us, and we release it through smiles, genuine
smiles, laughters and lighter springier footsteps. This is good medicine I
said, and everyone should have it. We give the children gifts of sweet things
& love, in return they gave us good vibes. It is a win-win situation for
all. After a day or two, or whenever I
think of that moment, I felt the warm afterglow effect.
For those who want to experience this
wonderful trip to hear The Singing Orphans please visit http//: gentleacts.blogspot.com
for more information. Friends of Riau (FOR) is a volunteer group, all
contributions go 100% to orphanages, volunteers pay for own expenses.
By Peter Tan
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