Christmas Feast and Gifts

Really? Don't smiles like these say it all?

Dec. 27, 2011 Text and Photos by Chad Lebo

Many of our children came from lives of little. Little love. Little education. Little food. Christmas for these children becomes a truly special occasion. For some of the children it is the first time they have ever received a Christmas gift.

For all of Akany Avoko, the staff, the volunteers, the kids, the Christmas meal is a particularly special part of Christmas. It is a chance for us to sit down to a wonderful meal as one large, loving family. All the staff join the children for the meal and the children all receive their gifts from a staff member or volunteer. It is a night of great love, appreciation and joy.

Please click the link below (as always) to enjoy all the photos that show the special night. They are large photos, so you may click one them to see them even bigger and better.

The calm before the storm of eating.

Honestly, give people chicken and everyone wants their photo taken with it. It is hard to get a chicken-free photo.

The chicken, salads and beans were all wonderful, but this is Madagascar after all, so rice comes first.

Staff, kids and volunteers spent the entire day cleaning, cooking and serving this fantastic meal.

Three happy girls and a chicken pistol. The kids call this cut of chicken pistolet.

How good was the food? Ask the chicken bones and lonely pieces of rice.

One way to have people clean up really fast after a meal is hand out gifts when they finish.

A very happy kid and our equally happy Volunteer Coordinator.

Each kid, young and old, got plush little friend as a gift.

The big gifts were shower kits full of brushes, lotions, soaps, towels, toothbrushes and many little treats. The screams and smiles were lovely thank yous.

A girl and her new best friend.

Let the comparing begin.

The appreciation and joy the children have for their gifts is one of nicest parts of Christmas. Try finding a boy near you that would be so excited for a pot of hair gel?

The gift giving included one big gift for all the little kids. They now have a tabletop soccer game (baby-foot, foosball) of their own.