Young People making a difference

Victor and Danielle at Takitumu School

Danielle Silver visited the Cook Islands Global Volunteers program earlier this year. She provided support to Takitumu School and met some amazing young people. Victor was one of them and here she shares her poem about the experience she had while providing service in the Cook Islands

Victor

A bright sunny island day,

the kind that warms you from the inside out.

A beautiful boy,

innocent and cheerful,

not letting the inability to walk bring him down.

Most people see cerebral palsy as a disability,

but all I see is potential.

The boy’s beaming smile shines from across the playground.

I knew today would be his day.

A dusty walker,

sees the sunshine,

now will be his lifeline.

At first, only confusion.

Adapting to a foreign, cold metal object and

the challenging obstacle of gravitational pull

on his unaccustomed legs.

But he is smart, persistent, determined.

He will succeed.

A stumble, a step, and then another,

guided by the now cherished silver frame.

Unassisted for the first time,

instead of my hands, his trusty metal steed guides his legs.

Before, only crawling,

he now glides across the grass on his two feet,

following the optimistic sunlight and laughter of his friends.