King’s College Shows Real Spirit this Christmas
King’s College Murcia has not forgotten the real spirit of Christmas and over the last two weeks the school managed to raise 1,800 euros for charity, through the sale of Christmas cards designed by the pupils, carol singing concerts in the streets of Cartagena and Murcia, a fabulous Christmas fayre and the call for donations towards an orphanage in Gandia. Not only did the children raise this outstanding sum of money, they also brought in, by the bagful, new slippers for the children at the orphanage, and nearly new toys, clothes and shoes. The donations of gifts were so plentiful they only just fitted into the back of the car that Asli Silk, the Headmaster’s wife, drove up to the orphanage in, to deliver the items and money in person.
The orphanage is actually a refuge run by Sister Amelia, for children aged between 3 and 12, who for one reason or another cannot live at home. There are a variety of reasons why the children cannot be looked after at home. Some have parents who are very sick, others have parents in prison, or working away in another country. Sister Amelia came to Spain from Paraguay at the age of 20 to help run the orphanage, and nine years later she is still here, and describes the children as her family.
The rooms are all spotlessly clean and very organised. The children have a lovely garden with swings and an area to play in, and a TV room for when the weather’s bad. They go to stay with family members at the weekends, but many would prefer to stay with the nuns, who provide them with a safe place to live and with love and understanding.
The orphanage, El Preventorio Infantil Ntra Sra Del Amparo, is home to 55 children at present. The children attend school there too, which is kept going through donations and volunteers. The orphanage started out in a tumble down house in 1953, but since then all sorts of good Samaritans have helped maintain and improve the installations, and the centre now has two floors of bedrooms, eight classrooms, a swimming pool, a sports hall, a pleasant garden, a dining area and a multi-purpose room.
The children live a reasonable life, but when Christmas comes around they are not as fortunate as many other children, although they do receive some presents from charities, and donations made from local clubs and other organizations make Christmas a lot merrier.
