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Published: October 24th 2008
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Here are some photos of the children that I worked with for the last few weeks. I volunteered for a few hours a day during the week at a children's home where these children are currently living. Some of them live at the home full time because their parents have abused, neglected, or abondoned them, or have passed away. Ot Then there are a few children whose parents are not able to take care of them due to work, illness, or other problems and pay for the children's home to take care of them during the week. These children go home on the weekends to be with their parents or relatives. Some of the children will eventually be returned to their parents full time, others will return to relatives' homes, some will live the rest of their childhoods in the orphanage, and a few will be adopted.
The home is run by the Colombian government's department of social services, but also receives some private funding. The women who run the home, and the others who live there with the children, are very kind and act as surrogate parents to the children. The children receive services from a part time social
worker and a part time school psychologist. Their days are highly structured so they get up, shower, dress, and go to school in the early morning till midday and then get home in time for their main meal of the day. Then after cleaning up and brushing their teeth, they all have a collective nap time, homework time, play time, dinner time, an hour of TV time, and then bedtime. Its regularity, consistency, and predictability that these children so need.
While with the children, I spent lots of time helping them with their homework and playing with them. We had many days where 4 or 5 of the girls would all crowd around me and braid my hair....or put it into some very original hairstyles. We had lots of time playing basketball in the courtyard of their home....they loved the game that I made up with the basketball. For a week, I got to go along with them in groups of 3 or 4 to the local swimming pool nearby where I used my 5 summers of experience as a swim instructor to give the kids mini simming lessons. Nap time was always a fun challenge to try and
get 13 kids between the ages of 3 and 11 to take an hour nap in the middle of the day instead of play (or at least lay still and quiet so that the others could sleep)...good luck with that one. Homework time was challenging because so many are behind in basic reading, writing, and math skills. I think some of them had rarely ever attended school before coming to the home. A couple were severly delayed in their speech, and cognitive skills. I am sure a few had undiagnosed learning disabilities. Meal time was always interesting...lots of things the kids didn't like, or wanted more of but couldn't have, and then some didn't really want to eat at all. The little ones needed to be fed, but also needed to feel autonomous so didn't always readily cooperate. There were lots of fights, tears, and hurt feelings when not everyone got what they wanted, or thought they were being left out somehow. So many of them have not always received the love and attention they need to feel secure and safe, so any minor offense would easily turn into a big fight between them...sometimes with hitting, biting, and kicking. A
lot of times, they simply wanted special attention to make them feel loved and valued...especially from me or the other ladies taking care of them. Lots of competition for my attention, for the toys they share, for the role of favorite in the group. It was like babysitting a family of 14 children! Oh my!
But all in all, the experience was invaluable. The children were adorable, incredibly affectionate, and responded really well to me and the time we spent together. They became my little buddies! I say goodbye to them in the next few days...this is the sad part. I wish I could stay. Maybe I will come back and see them again. I hope they remain as happy and cared for as they are now in their little refuge in the children's home of San Gil. I won't forget them very easily and hope they can feel that from me...how valuable they really are.
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Elisa Lima
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great pics
Hi Chon, these are such wonderful pictures of the kids. How did you remember all of their names? I love the Luna-Jessie drama. So cute! It looks like a safe place for them to grow.