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Published: December 29th 2009
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Main dining/play room
The kids taking part in various activities in the main room Today myself and the other volunteer on the project, Ai, went to URPI with our host Lorena to meet the children. There are 30 boys in the orphanage in total, aged from 5 - 15 years old. They attend a selection of local schools and also have lessons within the hogar (literally meaning home) to supplement their classes.
On arriving we were instantly mobbed, only the younger children were there as the older boys were in school, and they were hanging off our arms shouting Mio! Mio! meaning, Mine! Mine! We spent about an hour with the children while Lorena sorted out our paperwork with the director.
The orphanage consists of a couple of dormitories, with capacity for far more than the 30 boys who live there. The beds are all bunks, but in each room only the bottom beds are occupied. In the 90´s it was much busier here as many children were left as orphans as a result of the terrorist activity from the Shining Path rebels, which was focused in Ayacucho. Most of those orphans have now grown up and left the hogar, and those currently at URPI are there usually as a result of parents
The quad
In the quad, with Hector and Ai sat on the steps drinking, being in prison, having psychiatric problems or passing away. Most children have some family, such as elderly grandparents or siblings who they can visit, but it isn´t practical for them to live with them. Only a couple of the boys have no family at all.
There is also a large dining/study/play room, with a TV, stereo, lockers for their school books and lots of tables and chairs. This is where we spend most of our time with the boys as its generally too hot in the day to be out in their playing field. The field has been set out as a mini football pitch with an old set of goal posts. A large amount of rain recently, including floods on our first night which tragically killed 9 people in the town, has left the field in a bit of a mess and there are glass bottles and rubble over much of it which will be cleaned up over the next couple of days.
There is also a central quad area with an aviary and 4 budgies, the kids are really proud of the birds and they take it in turns to care for them.
All
Watching manga cartoons
Sat with Cayo and the other children while they watch their fave manga cartoons. Remember how much I used to like manga! in all the orphanage seems a very jolly place, and my first impression is that these kids are actually far better off than some I have seen on this trip. In Cusco I saw so many children out selling candies and begging for money at 2 or 3 in the morning on the streets, whereas at least the kids at URPI get four healthy meals a day, activities, a good education, clean warm beds to sleep in, regular medical checks and the opportunity when they are older to train in a profession or go to University.
We finished the day with some colouring, before heading to the market to spend our budgeted ten soles (2 pounds) on an evening meal - veggie spag bol. Early night ready for a full day of play tomorrow!
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