CRC residential students spend holiday with "forever families"

In August, when a number of residential children were reunified with their "forever families," the remaining children were given the opportunity to spend three weeks visiting their own "forever families," before returning to the residence.  When they returned to the CRC, they were full of joyful stories of their time away at a "welcome back" breakfast enjoyed by the children and the staff.

The children shared their experiences with each other and with the staff.  Norman Koroma expressed that he was very happy with his caregiver and family. He said that the children in his family thought he was from the US, because his English was so good, and that he was asked to help teach them better English.  Isata Kallon shared that she loved everything about her family; especially her grandmother, and that she can't wait to be reunified with them.  John Dakowa said his family was impressed with his English as well, and that he taught them also to speak some Mende.  He loved going with his grandparents around the farm and seeing "plants like rice leaves."  Abdulai Dakowa loved his holiday with his mother.  He also made a friend he enjoyed getting to know and spending time with, and he liked the community church the family attended as well.

These opportunities to spend more quality time with the families with whom they will ultimately be reunified help the children to establish connections to their families, and to the communities in which they live, as well as helping to prepare them for how life outside the residence may be different from live inside.