Bowy House - A Unique Haven
Bowy House is a unique haven in Paarl for children who desperately need relief from various ailments running the spectrum from medical to social and familial problems. When these children are plucked out of their homes and given the desperately needed opportunity to rehabilitate at Bowy House, many of them are extremely weak both physically and spiritually. 
As I began my first week, I was unfamiliar with and felt ill-equiped to provide the kind of attention and care the babies and children required. I lack a medical background and have never dealt with children with special needs. However, the instant smiles that erupt on the babies faces as soon as they are tickled, picked up and attended to made me realize that affection has its therapeutic benefits as well. I soon accompanied two of the babies to physical therapy appointments where I learned how to position an individual child in order to improve strength and motor coordination. I took these skills back with me to Bowy House and employed them during various sessions. 
Helping a developmentally challenged child learn to do basic things such as sit and crawl, and managing to get them to smile while doing it, is a contribution I never envisioned being capable of. Despite their physical weaknesses due to severe illnesses, the babies never cease to amaze me with the strength of their spirits. They are always difficult days when dealing with children, but my experience with the babies serves as a lesson as to the improvements that are possible in the face of great odds.
Annie Gruner
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