About Blanca (from Amanda)

Amanda tells us about some experiences she has had with Blanca:

I had a lot of fun with Blanca this week. Blanca is a sweet, petite little thing. She loves to dance and run around barefoot after she gets home from school. I am convinced that if only given the chance, she could one day become a very successful gymnast. One day, as I was washing the dishes in Casa #10, I looked out the window and saw her playing on the grass by herself. It was obvious that she thought noone was watching as she attempted various acrobatic moves. It was so cute! I got to sit by her this week and eat and she was so much fun! We would play a game (to help encourage her to eat all her food): She would pick a number and I would count to it and we would see how much food she could eat by before I reached that number. Before no time her plate was empty! She would also have a contest with Daniel (featured in the first photo attachment) to see who could drink their cup of juice the fastest or eat their bowl of soup the fastest. Daniel got the best of her with the juice, but Blanca totally dominated when it came to downing her soup. These kids are just too much fun!

Tie Dye Good Bye (from Janel)

Janel shares an awesome activity the interns did with the kids at La Aldea:

This week we tie dyed shirts with the kids. We bought shirts and taught them how to tie them with rubberbands so they could do their own. Let me say I have never seen the kids this quiet or interested. They loved this activity and the shirts turned out great.

Maribel (from Janel)

Janel introduces us to Maribel:

Maribel is a sweet girl who loves to be around others. She loves to play basketball, soccer, and volleyball as well as paint, color, and make bracelets. She is an active girl who unfortunately rarely leaves the Aldea. She has special needs which requires a special school. When the Aldea's funds were cut, she had to stop going to school. Instead, she stays home all day helping the Tia and watching the younger kids. Maribel is always smiling and shows a good example of sportsmanship. She has fun playing games no matter what the score. One day I was walking to a small store nearby the Aldea and asked her to come with me. She was so excited to be able to do something different! It was a simple trip - we marched over to get diapers for a Tia and came right back, but she was smiling ear to ear the whole time.

Katy's First Week

Katy, a new intern at La Aldea Infantil, fills us in on her first week!

My first week in la Aldea Infantil! I feel like I have already been here for much longer. The kids are so welcoming and accepting of others, so it was easy to begin my time here. This week, there was a special visit from a religious organization from Texas and they brought some treats and toys for the kids. The children were very excited to see a group of people of another nationality than their own and were so inviting to them as well. We had a clean-up crew for the candy wrappers and trash around the Aldea after the visit, and the children and I collected an entire bag of garbage. Que bonita the grounds were afterwards!

About Aurora (from Sharalee)

Sharalee now introduces us to Aurora:

Aurora is ten years old and is the fourth child in a family of six children. The parents of the family work on a farm two hours away and are unable to return home very often to see their children. Alida, the oldest child at age fourteen, cares for the children when the parents are away. Aurora is a fun-loving, happy little girl. She loves to be picked up and held (despite her age). Aurora enjoys coloring, drawing, playing with other kids (especially younger kids), climbing on things, giving and receiving hugs, and doing things that make her laugh. She enjoys one-on-one attention and will often leave a group if she is not receiving the attention she needs. She is a very special and sweet little girl with a huge heart. I have loved getting to know Aurora!

Sponsor a child like Aurora!

About Eva (from Sharalee)

Sharalee, another intern at El Bichito, introduces us to Eva:

Eva is the third child in a family of seven children. The father of the family is not in the picture and the kids live with their mother. Upon first meeting her, Eva is not a girl of many words, though she opens up over time. Eva is a very talented artist. She loves to paint and draw with colored pencils. While other children will draw many pictures in a short period of time, Eva is patient and careful and will spend a lot of time on one beautiful work of art. Eva also enjoys sports, and is quite good at volleyball and soccer. A huge smile comes to her face when she scores a goal or is successful in some other way in sports. Eva also loves to have her picture taken. Whenever a camera is out, she always manages to be in almost every picture. Eva does a very good job of caring for her younger siblings, particulary her two and three-year-old little sisters. While many children at El Bichito are very dirty, Eva takes great care to keep herself clean and presentable. Eva is a very special little girl and stands out from other children in her kindness and patience. I have loved getting to know Eva!

Sponsor a child like Eva!

Dancing at the El Bichito (from Kelsey)

This week we had the opportunity to perform a few traditions Peruvian dances with the children at the school. Eliana taught several dances to different classes and in celebration of Father's Day here in Peru, the children were able to present them to their parents and the rest of the school. We had so much fun dancing and spending that time with the children. They all did so great!

About Israel (from Stephen)

Stephen, an intern at El Bichito, introduces us to Israel:

At first Israel seems really shy, but if you spend some time with him one on one, he becomes more comfortable and will talk with you. He usually watches others play games and is apprehensive to join in on the games unless you specifically invite him to play. He also prefers to join games where the kids who are participating are either his age and size or younger and smaller. His family is quite large, he usually has 6 other siblings who come to El Bichito. From what we understand, his father does not live with the family and his mother has to work a lot to support the family. As a result Israel's older sister dropped out of school to help take care of the other children. We were concerned because it appeared for a while that Israel was not going to school, but he seems to have resumed attending school. However, even though he shows up in his uniform to El Bichito, I worry that he may not actually be attending school. Israel likes to color, play football (soccer) and play with toy cars. He is reserved around the other kids and does not really interact with kids besides his siblings. He is really kind and gentle with his siblings and they all seem to have a good relationship and do not fight with each other. Even though Israel seems to be shy, he is one of the first to come to El Bichito and one of the last to leave, so we think that he really enjoys coming.

Pilar's Quincenera (from Janel)

Janel, Pilar, Amanda and Hao

Janel tells us more about Pilar's Quincenera:

Pilar recently had her big 15th birthday party. Over 50 of her classmates came over to the Aldea on a Friday night to celebrate this exciting event! She looked beautiful and had a lot of fun dressing up and feeling special. Pilar is a friendly girl who loves to play volleyball. She is responsible in completing her homework and is known for being a good student. How exciting to share this special event with her!

Wilson (from Kelsey)

Kelsey, an intern at El Bichito, introduces us to Wilson:

This is Wilson, who is a regular visitor of El Bichito and a lively four year-old. When I first met Wilson, he was very shy and would just stay with his siblings. Since then I have gotten to know him a little better. Wilson absolutely loves coloring and creating his own artwork. He opens up and becomes a while new child with a crayon in his hand. He would color all day if he could. He loves playing jokes on me as well. One day he followed me around hiding and whenever I would ask, "where is Wilson?" he would burst into laughter. Wilson has a smile that will melt your heart. He loves coming to El Bichito and really relies on the time he is able to spend her everyday.

Meet Hector (from Stephen)

Stephen, an intern at El Bichito introduces us to Hector:

Hector is a wonderful kid! He is one of the most studious kids that comes to El Bichito. He was the first to complete enough homework to be awarded a prize for his hard work and diligence. Hector also has a very kind and gentle personality. He does not fight with the other kids and he is always willing to help out, especially when we are trying to start a new game with everyone. He loves to laugh, color, play football, and do his homework. He comes from a large family and is always willing to share with and help his other siblings. Whenever we play football (soccer), Hector likes to play goalkeeper. Even though he is smaller than some of the other kids, he hustles a lot and is actually a very good football player. Although Hector may seem shy at first, he really will warm up to you once you talk with him and play some games. Something funny about Hector is that he likes to wrestle with some of the other boys that come to El Bichito. They never hurt each other when they wrestle, but they sure seem to have a lot of fun. Overall, I would describe Hector as a fun-loving, caring boy!

Miguelitto (from Janel)

Janel, an intern at La Aldea Infantil, introduces us to Miguel:

Miguel is accompanied in the Aldea by his older brother, Victor. The two have lots of fun with the other boys in house 2. Some of the boys are a few years older and do not always include the younger ones like Miguel, who is 7. One night after dinner, for English class, I made homemade word finds for the boys. The older ones loved this and raced to get done first. Miguel wanted to be included also. I gave him a word find and he was determined to finish it! It was well after the older boys had finished, but the smile on his face showed his satisfaction. Miguel is an active boy who loves to color and pull pranks. He races to be the first in the truck on the way to school so he can lock the others out. He loves to sit in the driver´s seat and act like he is driving. Everyday after lunch he practices his writing and is getting better everyday. Miguelitto participates in art class and loves to paint. Miguel is a kid who loves to laugh and have fun.

Double the Fun (from Amanda)

Amanda, an intern at La Aldea Infantil, introduces us to the twins, Fanny and Sofia:

Double the fun! Meet Fanny and Sofia--the twins at the Aldea. These girls are just precious. This week we have gotten particularly close and I am convinced that it is more than the mere fact that I give them candy :) Fanny and Sofia are 8 years old. They love to giggle, draw on the sidewalk with chalk, jump rope and help with the babies. Due to the fact that they are twins, I think that sometimes it is assumed that their personalities, strengths and needs are identical. After watching closely this week, however, I have come to realize that this is not the case. Sofia, for example is a star at math. She is doing well with her addition and seems to enjoy doing her homework while Fanny absolutely detests it. Fanny, on the otherhand loves to jump rope, outlasting most of the other children her age, and can climb a tree faster than you can say Aldea Infantil! Both of them work to overcome obstacles such as speech impediments and super short attention spans in order to continue learning and furthering their education. These girls are my new little buddies and they latch onto my hand the moment they see me. It is just too much fun spending time with them!

The brothers of house 5 (Janel)

A post from Janel at La Aldea Infantil:

"House 5" is a house full of 8 boys ranging from ages 1 to 16. This week I received three large packages full of goodies from a family I consider my own in Missouri. The packages were filled with books, small toys, arts and crafts, school supplies, and candy all for the children. I haven't seen the kids more excited! The small toy cars immediately caught the boys´ attention. They did everything from racing, trading, and even bartering them. The most interesting and humorous to me was the game of "Where is Obama?" Caesar (16) would line the toy cars like they were parading down a boulevard and Ruben, Jhonatan, and Jose would guess which car President Obama was in. The creativity of these boys is amazing. They make so much out of what they have that when given more they immediately jump at the opportunities.

I am impressed at how well the boys listen to the Tia and are willing and proactive in completing their chores. They have been taught well.

The boys watch out for each other and consider one another family. I asked Miguel if he had any brother or sisters. He told me he had 7. I found out later by talking with the Tia that he has no biological siblings.

Lately at El Bichito (Eliana)

Here is cute little project that the interns at El Bichito came up with to get the kids excited about healthy foods (from Eliana):

The kitchen here is really big and spacious and the walls are almost empty. We decided to ask the children what their favorite fruit, vegetable or food was. Then they began to draw and paint! The pictures were pasted on colored paper and then decorated the walls of the kitchen!
It is a wall full of colors of rich and nourishing things that our children like to eat. Every time they come into the kitchen, they identify their own drawing.

Thanks for the update and photos Eliana!

Miguel's Abilities (Amanda)

Amanda gives us an update on Miguel's abilities (versus his disabilities):

This is Miguel. Miguel is considered mentally handicapped by most people and by all technical standards. I would like to tell you a story about Miguel.
A group of us were playing volleyball--a past time that is rapidly increasing as a favorite of the older kids at the Aldea. Miguel was sitting to the side and I let him play with my camera (also a recent favorite past time of ALL ages of the kids at the Aldea). While we were playing I remember glancing over a time or two and noticed that he was pointing the camera at us as well as all around. He walked over to a Tia and her son nearby and talked to them for a bit. All the while we were playing volleyball. I didn't think too much about it until later that night after dinner when all the kids were in their houses and I sat down to look through my photos of the day. I was amazed! Miguel had not only figured out how to take photos on his own, but also how to record videos! He had received no instruction of any kind from anyone! I know some adults who cannot even figure out how to record videos on my camera and that is afterinstruction! :) Photos and videos taken by Miguel included us playing volleyball, the Tia and her son in obviously planned/choreographed poses, and simple beauties like the moon above. I will have to upload some of his photos to the blog. I sat there amazed. I had fully expected blurred photos of nothing but color like I see when I get my camera back from most of the kids playing with it. Instead Miguel had not only figured out the mechanics of handling a camera, but he was well on his way to mastering the art of becoming a professional photographer.
To some, Miguel may be labeled as something. The world categorizes him as a child with disabilities. To me, Miguel showed great ability! He has taught me that labels are only what the eyes see. What really matters is what is deeper. Gracias Miguel.

Other posts about Miguel are here and here.

El Bichito visits Senati

SENATI is a techinal training college located just outside Banos del Inca for technical careers such as electricians, machinery and engineering. Our awesome interns took the El Bichito kids on a field trip there to help them see the benefits of education. Thirty-six kids were in attendence!




The director took them on a tour of the facility and explained each study program offered by the institution. The director encouraged the students to stay in school and pursue a career.

To complete the tour of SENATI, the kids were taken to eat ice cream in an ice cream shop. Eliana said she loved seeing their happy faces, many of them had never visited an ice cream shop before this.

Once they were back at El Bichito, the children were asked to share their experiences and Eliana said she was happy to hear that many of them want to be future mechanics or engineers. It seems as though this experience has had a great influence on the lives of these children. The interns plan to take the children to a hospital next!

Also, Eliana got SENATI to install a water heater at El Bichito for free! Way to go Eliana!

Thanks to Eliana for the photos and description of this awesome field trip!

Pilar's Quincenera (Hao)

Hao introduces us to Pilar, who lives at La Aldea Infantil:

Pilar is a very nice but shy girl at the Aldea who does well in school and enjoys playing volleyball in the afternoons. On Friday, she just had her Quinceñera, which is a rite of passage in Latin American countries in which a girl symbolically becomes a woman in a ceremony that for some, is as big as, if not bigger than a wedding. She was excited and nervous for it, but seemed to enjoy it a lot even with me as her substitute Padrino (the father figure who is supposed to escort her in and symbolically set her free into the world). Ultimately, I believe that this young woman is more than ready to take on the challenges that the world will now present her.

Food + Education = Happiness!

Aaron, an intern at Semillas de Amor in Columbia gives us another update on the use of the structure they built:

Each day we serve the kids lunch, always consisting of a variety of food groups and including some vegetable as well as protein source, and a pediatric multi-vitamin pill. The parents are asked to send 100 pesos if possible (less than 10 cents) to help with transportation needs, but with no obligation. Recently purchased chairs and tables allow the kids to eat sitting comfortably rather than from the ground or their laps. After eating, the kids are expected to bring their school assignments to work on before being allowed to participate in any games, and we keep a record to monitor their progress and offer incentives for completing their homework regularly. We also help them with their schoolwork, and try to help them stay caught up.

Once homework is finished, we typically have some activity for all of the kids, ranging from educational games like Bingo in English, to coloring, to running games or soccer. The kids are often enthusiastic about the activities, which in turn helps motivate them to bring and finish their homework in order to participate. Working with the children it's easy to see that many of them get insufficient attention during school, and have little or no encouragement from home to stay caught up in their studies.

The kids are all bright, however, and always willing to try new games and give schoolwork their best effort. Being recipients of the work done by Semillas de Amor has made a tangible difference in the lives of each of these children, in an even more and more efficient way as the funding and facilities improve.

Updates from Semillas de Amor

Aaron, an intern at Semillas de Amor gives us an update on how they are helping this center:

The foundation Semillas de Amor was founded by Uris Segovia and her husband Osvaldo, who work with a handful of other local volunteers to provide food and a productive after school program for needy children living near Turbaco, Colombia. They provide a balanced, home cooked meal for sometimes more than fifty local kids who, in some cases, won't eat another real meal in a day. After trying to manage all of the food, activities and kids in a small, inadequate facility, they were able to get a small plot of land right next to the local elementary school.


It was overgrown with thick, tropical foliage and strewn with garbage, but armed with machetes, rakes, and all the local help we could get we began clearing it out to make way for Semillas de Amor.






After a long afternoon of cutting, cleaning, digging, and building, what had been a literal jungle hours before was replaced by a clean, open space where the kids could come to eat, do their schoolwork, and play.. The shelter constructed at the site provides shade from the sun and protection from tropical rain, and while it's sturdy and hugely superior to the previous situations, it's only a first step towards having a better structure with food preparation facilities (the women currently have to cook at home then transport the food 15-20 minutes in large containers which they then have to carry home afterwards.)

Check back tomorrow to learn more about they help the children that come to this center!