Alegria de Vivir: Meet Mauricio

Sheena introduces us to Mauricio:

This week I had a chance to get to know Mauricio (7) and his mom Yesenia. Yesenia is a single mom and mother of three children. Her son Mauricio suffers from Cerebral Palsy and Asthma and cannot speak due to a tracheotomy that he had when he was younger. Yesenia struggles to make ends meet with the small income she receives from odd jobs and government assistance. The day that I visited her Mauricio had only had milk for lunch because Yesenia did not have anything else to give him. Despite all this, Mauricio is an incredibly cheerful young boy! He has a bright smile and is always laughing. He likes doing the exercises the physical therapist at Alegria de Vivir has assigned him and does them well. When I visited he stood up from a chair 5 times with very little assistance! Despite his physical potential, Mauricio does not have braces, a walker, or even a wheelchair to help him move more independently. In addition he often cannot make it to school or to Alegria de Vivir because his mom cannot afford the transportation there and back each day. With a little help Mauricio could realize his potential and start moving and learning.

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Semillas de Amor: Halloween Party

 Update from Sheena at Semillas de Amor: 

 The Seeds of Love the kids celebrated Halloween at a surprise party put on by foundation volunteers. Wendy, and many of the other children, were met with applause after singing a song or reciting poetry they learned at school. Thanks to local donors each child was sent home with a belly full of ice cream and other goodies and a head full of confetti.

 The jewelry project here at Seeds of Love is progressing! This week foundation volunteer Damaris, pictured on the far left above, taught the moms how to make necklaces. Moms like Karen and Evelis, pictured in the center above, were quick learners. 

It took a lot of concentration, but in the end the necklaces came out beautiful, dotted with brilliant pieces of blue or red coral.The purchase of these necklaces will support the construction of the foundation so that these kids may have a place of their own to learn and play.

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Semillas de Amor: Battle of the Sexes

Update on what is happening at Semillas de Amor from Sheena: 

This week was a battle of the sexes at the foundation! Girls in one group and boys in another, the children quizzed each other on the numbers in English from one to ten. On the boy's side Wilson (10), pictured above, led the review. Each side worked hard with the hope of crushing the other team in a number game. In the end the girls took the win, much to the dismay of the boys.

This week also marked the beginning of our jewelry project here at Seeds of Love. The mothers of the children at the foundation are learning how to make bracelets and necklaces. With limited funds the few women who run the foundation are regularly forced to use their own money to keep things going. Though it is inspiring to see so much generosity coming from families that have very little themselves, it is also troublesome to see them under such financial burden. To help these families and to support the construction of the foundation the jewelry made by the mothers will be available for purchase in December. Just in time for Christmas!

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