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.
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