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Published: January 22nd 2008
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Kawai Dormitory
This is the dormitory shared by the older boys Hi Folks,
Today I´m covering Friday 18 January. We headed out in the morning from Lima to Kawai, a spot close to Ica where SU have a Girasoles home for boys.
The morning was pretty much taken up by the trip in the minibus and I must confess that I slept most of the way!! We were joined on the trip by Marty Clark, the lovely wife of Paul who General Director of Scripture Union Peru, and their grandaughter Phoebe.
Kawai is right on the Pacific beach, a beautiful spot. It comprises a large plot of land, which includes space for SU and school camps, the Girasoles home for the boys, and private bungalows which are leased by SU for income generation. We were staying in these bungalows, which contained two bunks each and a bathroom. Happy to say that as only Anna and I were sharing, I bagged a bottom bunk. Have been wary of top bunks ever since I fell out of one as I slept in Glenshee!! The cost of one of these is $10 US per night, and you can walk to the beach!!
When we arrived, we immediately went to Girasoles to
Second dorm
This is the dorm shared by the older boys. meet the boys, all of whom are former street kids. They were delighted to see us and we got lots of hugs and kisses. The fad of the day seemed to be plastic gloves blown up and used as balloons!! I had a great game of volley ball with a couple of the kids.
We had a tour around the accomodation which comprises two dorms split on an age basis. There is also a living type space, a large kitchen and dining area. There is a central courtyard and a football pitch!! The boys can also go to the beach, and can also use the pool in the complex when not in use by the paying guests.
Lunch was delicious and we mingled with the boys which was nice. I got chatting to Jorge, Roland and Carlos over lunch. What really impressed me was the behaviour and discipline displayed by the boys. The all queued up table by table at the kitchen hatch to receive their food and were very insistent that the ladies (can you believe that included me??!!) go ahead of them. I got chatting to a number of them as I said and asked what
The SU grounds at Kawai
It's beautiful - like an oasis in the desert, and now home for 30 street kids!! age they were and how long they had been at Girasoles. The responses I got demonstrated that most of them had been on the streets for some time before coming to the SU centre. I can only wonder what kind of childhood they had in comparison to yours and mine. The boys also asked a lot about me and my homelife, and I was more than happy to share that with them. I also discovered that a number of them are musical and play the Peruvian equivalent of the flute. I only wished I had mine with me to share that with them - it was nice to have something in common.
After lunch the boys performed a wee programme for their guests. This comprised two Christian songs which they sang with mucho gusto and a play based on the Biblical parable of the talents. I was most impressed and really moved by all of it and had to put on my sunspecs quickly at one point. It reminded me of how difficult we find it in Girls Brigade to get the kids to do anything at all, yet these boy (yes - former rough, tough street boys who
Lunch!!
Caught this one of Albert with some of the boys as lunch was finishing. They liked his iPhone!! wouldn't have thought twice about stealing from me for food) were happy to stand up and sing and do a fantastic drama which reflected their personal faith and the change that SU has brought about in their lives. It was incredible and I was very moved.
Some of the boys do bear the physical scars of their time on the streets. One of them I noticed had very badly burnt arms. There was also a number of brothers in the centre and also a set of twins which I thought was just fantastic. I have attached lots of photos which I hope you enjoy.
After lunch we headed off to our accomodation for some chill out time, and I set off to the beach for a paddle in the Pacific. The weather was gorgeous, but the water cold. We had been warned not to swim as there was a strong undercurrent, and boy could you feel it, even when just paddling.
Some of the boys soon appeared on the beach and soon started to play. This involved the very complex construction of two sand castles and also a major excavation project. One of them told me he
Angelic Choir
They sang with mucho gusto and I was very moved. was digging his way to Scotland!! What was most touching about that was just seeing the boys play. When they lived on the streets they would not have been able to play as they would have been constantly watching their backs and on the look out for trouble. Even the older boys (the eldest I spoke to was 15) played like 10 year olds. I like to think that they were making up for lost time. A number of our group mucked in and had fun with them which was nice. How their lives have changed thanks to SU and the VT!!
After our paddle we had dinner in the restaurant. When we arrived for dinner, there were no lights in the restaurant, which enabled us to sit on the entrance steps and enjoy the end of the sunset over the Pacific. Then it was off to bed for an early start to head to Ica tomorrow morning.
Again, another amazing day.
Hope you enjoy the blog.
Lesley x
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