El Bichito: Local volunteers

December 2
By Sunny Hicken

Something that has been great at El Bichito this last month or so is the help we have been getting from the local people. Some days I’ll have a mom come in to help with an activity, and other days we’ve had volunteers come help in other ways.  Here is a neighbor, Rosana helping with reading.

Gloria is a teacher we met who came to play math games with the kids. A woman who used to be a teacher has been coming on Tuesdays and teaching jewelry making and sneaking in some other lessons as well. One week she left a book and asked all the kids the read it.

 The next week, she brought her kids, and they put on a puppet show about the story, and she gave out small prizes to kids who could answer questions about it. It was awesome. We had a great group of kids all paying attention!

Another ongoing activity the kids enjoy here is jumping rope. Some kids come asking for a jump rope (“Una soga, por favor!”) before they even eat, but we tell them they have to eat and do homework first. Then when we get out the jumpropes, I ask them if they want me to say the rhyme in Spanish or English when they jump, and now several of them can say it in English themselves. It goes like this:

Tell me how many fish
Are there in the ocean:
1, 2, 3, 4, etc.

This way they practice counting in English. When they stop jumping, we ask what number it was in the other language. Here is the rhyme in Spanish:

Dime cuantos peces
Hay en el océano
1, 2, 3, 4, etc.

(To give crédito where crédito is due, I learned this rhyme from a bilingual song tape—yes, I got it a long time ago, it’s a cassette tape—called “Lyric Language” by Family Circus. It’s still around, I think.)

Semillas de Amor: Halloween

October 31
By Colby Thomas

This week we had a giant Halloween party for the kids at the foundation. Not only did we serve the regular lunch, but we had dance competitions, sing-offs, and played a few games with the children. Ben tried to teach the kids "We are the Titans" except he changed it to "We are Colombians." I did my best to help out but for the most part I couldn't stop laughing. It was so funny to Ben and I how the costumes in Colombia are no different than the costumes in the states. The girls were all Disney princesses, and the boys were a superhero of some sort. Their imaginations ran wild as they took some of the unused clothes from the clothing drive and dressed Ben and I up. Ben got to be some Greek God with a sash and a sword, and I was a nurse. I'm not bitter or anything, but I feel like the kids pulled rank on me since I've been here a month less :p At least I had a sweet afro. We also pulled together some money to buy the kids some cake, ice cream, soda, and candy. Too bad for their mothers though, as we sent their already hyper kids home even more energized. It was no doubt an exhausting day, but to see the happiness and joy on the children's faces made all the effort well worth it.

Semillas de Amor: Meet Yuladis

November 21
By Colby Thomas

This week I would like to highlight a special little girl named Yuladis. This little girl is extremely quite and shy, but perhaps the most polite child Ben and I have the pleasure of working with. She has the most beautiful smile, and if you can make eye contact with her, she can't help but laugh. She comes everyday, is always polite, and always does as her sister tells her to do. We're trying to get the other kids in the the foundation to behave and act like she does. We are so grateful to have such an awesome example. She will definitely be one of the hardest children to say goodbye to. For me, the greatest joy of working in Semillas de Amor is seeing children from bad backgrounds have a reason to smile and show their creativity in an uplifting environment. What might be a few hours of chaos for Ben and I everyday is a much needed way of relieving stress, energy, and emotion for these children--and when we look at our work through this lens, it helps us stay motivated. Yuladis is shown above with her trademark smile :)

El Bichito: Finger knitting

October 28
By Sunny Hicken

We continue to be as busy as can be here at El Bichito. Everybody’s minds and fingers have been busy as after each child completed homework, they could choose a ball of yarn and learn to finger knit. It was hard at first, but the kids caught on and started helping each other out. These kids love crafts. Our jewelry volunteer, Senora Tely, came again this Tuesday and brought all the materials for the kids to make bracelets. Later in the week we started making Math Machines—we’ll show some pictures of those next week as we finish them up.

We were able to have a few more house visits this week. I love getting to know these families better. Ana Maria and her brother Junior live just down the street, and Rodrigo and Nelida’s houses are close as well. I love having not only the kids now call my name when we walk through town, but the moms as well.

El Bichito: Crafting and computers

October 21
By Sunny Hicken

This week a woman who lives down in Baños del Inca volunteered to come teach a jewelry class. She brought all the materials and had a separate set of beads for the boys and girls to all make necklaces. I’ve never seen so many kids here and have it be so quiet! They were all working hard and absolutely loved it. She promised to come back this week again and bring materials for bracelets—but only for those who’ve done homework! (She used to be a teacher, and it shows. Hooray for teachers!)

We’ve taken some of the empty toilet paper rolls and boxes from juice and such and the kids have created a marble run, taped to the wall with masking tape. They bring marbles from home, but I hope to find some marbles in the market to give out as prizes because the kids love playing with it. And I would like to see them create more, as it involves so many great planning and engineering skills.

My husband was able to get one of the old laptops here running (after taking two of them into a shop and ordering parts and buy a new cord, etc.) It won’t charge, but if we leave it plugged in, the kids can use it. A contest is going on in El Bichito as we are using it with a typing game and Kai is keeping track of scores and teaching them how to type. We found that even the older kids typed with just two fingers, and we know that will hold them back. My husband works with a dentist, Dr. J. Tim Modic in Maryland (http://www.mechanicsvillefamilydentist.com/), who is donating three laptops which Eagle-Condor will be bringing down in November. Then we’ll really have our computer lab up and running! (As you can see, we even have a mom here learning to type!)

Semillas de Amor: Christmas in October

By Ben Haynes

An eventful week filled with pleasant surprises. Tuesday Semillas de Amor received another intern Colby Thomas, and I couldn't be more pleased. He seems like an awesome kid who will contribute a ton with an infectious smile. The highlight at the foundation this week was Wednesday. The Banko Almiento donated a bunch of clothes to the foundation and the greatest sort of chaos ensued. There were more people at the foundation than I have ever seen. Many of the mothers came out in support, and were incredible grateful to receive some much needed clothing for their children. It was Christmas in October.

Columbia: Week 5

By Ben Haynes

Just another wonderful week in Colombia. This week I am going to highlight Solmaira. She is a girl who has been coming to the foundation since the beginning. She is 18 years old and a very special case indeed. She loves the foundation and is incredibly dedicated. She has been a huge help so far. She shows up everyday and helps collect plates and cups for all of the kids. She stays and cleans once everyone has gone home for the day. Also she participates in all of the lessons, and encourages others to do the same. I am incredibly blessed to have met her. She makes the foundation a better place to be every day. In the photo she is the one rocking the sunglasses.

El Bichito: Healthy eating & recycling

By Sunny Hicken
October 13

A while ago I brought out some carrots sticks to share with the kids, and they gave me pretty wary looks. But one kid tried it, and now when I bring out a bowl of carrot sticks, I get mobbed and I have to emphasize “Just take one!” I keep telling myself I need to take time to prepare more carrot sticks more often. After all, I can get a whole kilo of carrots for just one “sol” if I make it to the market in downtown Cajamarca. But there’s always so much to do and choices to make! At least the short supply keeps the demand high.

We have made a few things out of recycling, such as the beginnings of a marble run out of toilet paper rolls that we are taping onto the wall. Alex brought in a box and made himself a radio, that the kids all loved.

El Bichito: Meeting families of kids at El Bichito

By Sunny Hicken

October 13

Some of the things that have been going on around here. First of all, washing big pots! We love the ladies that come and cook for the children each day. They are great women, mothers, and a grandmother! (One just had a new grandson born last week! Her sons’ families live in her home, too.)

We are trying to have the children take us to their homes so we can meet their families (usually their mom and younger siblings) and learn more about them and their needs. Here are pictures of Milagros with her mother and little brother and of Alex with his mother and little sister. They are two of our most dedicated homework-doers! It was neat to see where they live and tell their moms how great their kids are when they are at El Bichito. They are two of our most dedicated homework-doers!

Here is a photo of Milagros and my daughter Sierra who love doing their homework together. It was neat to see where this child lives and to tell her mom how great she is doing at El Bichito. Milagros’ home is just down the street from us—we didn’t even realize that we pass her house every time we take a bus/van anywhere. Now we look every time to see if we can wave to her.

Alex’s house is up on the hill, a pretty hike from El Bichito. On the way, we saw other children we knew and promised to visit them soon. 

 We also saw Marco, sitting in the field behind his home. He is older, but is crippled from polio. He comes to the center for lunch often, but we had not seen him in a while. It was good to check up on him and let him know we missed him.

 I wish I had gotten a picture of him with his rose bushes, just out of the picture of him, but here is a picture of the rose he picked for me, that we have been enjoying having on the kitchen table in El Bichito the last few days.

We have great things planned for next week—I just hope we can get to half of them!

El Bichito: Soccer & manicures

October 7
By Sunny Hicken

It’s been fun to have Anna Gleave, intern earlier this year, back with us this week! The kids were thrilled to see her, and she has been heading up some classes and activities here at El Bichito. She and local college grad Mateo put on a boys’ afternoon and then a girls’ afternoon, where they led an activity particularly enjoyed by the children (soccer for the boys, manicures for the girls), talked to them about their good qualities and choices to make in life, made them fruit salad as a treat, and had a movie. The kids have loved the extra attention! It has also been great to have some extra hands around here, being able to focus on homework with one or two children while others participate in another activity outside and such.

El Bichito: Impromptu moving library

The latest from Sunny Hicken at El Bichito:

September 29

This last Friday was a field trip day for the whole school district, so lunch and activities at El Bichito were cancelled. Our youngest, Lily, is attending the Jardin de Ninos here in Puylucana, so she had a field trip as well. The young children had their mothers, and some of their fathers and siblings, along for the trip, and we all ended up together on a long bus ride. I had tucked three lightweight books into my backpack to entertain Lily on the bus, and little did I know what a hit they would be! By the end of the trip, we had a regular lending library going on inside the bus. Kids would come down the aisle, borrow one book, bring it back a little later, wait for a different book to be returned, and take that one back to their seat. Once they read all three books, they would start over again. I read to them some (when we were stopped for construction or just waiting—I get sick reading while in motion, and Peruvian mountain roads are certainly no exception), but they would take the book to their mothers or older siblings, or just look at it. The boy next to me who came along with his mom and little brother read through “Big Dog, Little Dog” several times, and each time he got through it a little faster. I got to know his mother, who helped make it clear to the other children that no, they could not take the books home but could only borrow them while on the bus. Her husband drives a moto for a living, and she has a hard time making ends meet, and we talked about El Bichito. Two of the books were also in English, and sometimes the kids or their mothers asked for me to read to them in English as well. Another brother and sister who were enthusiastic about reading the books recognized the name “el Bichito” inside the cover and said they used to come, and I invited them to come again. It was a fun experience to see how these children loved the books and how their mothers were also glad to see them reading them. It was definitely some positive outreach for El Bichito and for developing a culture of reading for fun and to our children.

Week Two in Colombia

Here's the latest from intern Ben in Colombia!:

The second week has been much better than the first. I am finally adjusting to living in Columbia, although I don't ever stop sweating. The kids started learning the basic of karate this week, which they seem to be enjoying. It is cool how many of the girls are taking an interest in karate. It is slow going, but going non the less. However the highlight of the week was Urine's birthday. Urine is a girl who has been coming to the foundation for awhile now. She is one of the leaders of the foundation for sure. She is always helping serve food, and behaves herself very well during lessons. This week Urine turned 13 years old. It was one of the sweetest things you can imagine. Below are pictures because words simply don't do it justice. 

We Have Only Just Begun

Right away I began to sweat. The line to get through customs was welcoming, but long and without air-conditioning. The people who had gotten off of the plane with me, were either tourists or locals. Which meant that they were either terribly impatient or ready to start drinking. (probably both) It took about a hour to reach the man who would stamp my passport. I greeted him with a smile, and some rough spanish. Just like that I was in.  Oswaldo, the father of my host family was there to pick me up. We hopped in a cab and were off to my new home for the next three months.
Once we arrived I was greeted by controlled chaos. Little kids playing in the road, dogs everywhere, and dizzying spanish. Once I sat down and chatted with Uris and Oswaldo, I found that they were incredible people. I am lucky to have such an awesome host family. Monday, we rose early to go to the food bank. There we picked up a weeks worth of supplies for the foundation. I met Father Pardon man who does as much good for the world as he possibly can. I will volunteer at the food bank once or twice a week, just to help out and continue to foster a vital relationship. Tuesday was my first day meeting the kids, and was I blown away. These kids are some of the happiest kids that I have ever met. I know kids in the U.S. who have every material possession and then some, and they are sad mopey kids. The kids despite their life situation enjoy every minute of their lives. (when they are at the foundation anyway) The rest of the week was spent getting to know the kids and my way around Turbaco. It has been an adjustment from what I am used too, that is for certain. But it is for the better, and I am beyond excited to watch the kids grow and have a positive impact. 

El Bichito: Getting started

August 18

We have just arrived in Peru and at El Bichito. For the kids here, school has just started again after their winter break. We are just getting to know each other, so we have been playing games after lunch, encouraging homework (of which there has been just a little so far), and getting to know each other. Many of the kids are around our daughter, Sierra’s age and she has already made a special friend. Milagros comes a little later than the first wave of kids, so Sierra waits to eat lunch with her. Milagros is good at bringing her homework, so Sierra and Milagros work on it together and then play together, even though Sierra hasn’t learned Spanish yet. Some of the boys have started teasing Sierra by calling her name and then when she looks they say “costa, selva!” These are the three regions of the Peru—the mountains, the coast, and the jungle. The boys of El Bichito seem to really enjoy our teenagers, Kai and Renen, which are also both boys. Kai and Renen don’t speak much Spanish yet either, but they are all enjoying playing together. We have been playing Jenga, Uno, and Bingo, doing puzzles and coloring pictures. One thing we have been trying to get each child to do to help us learn their names and who they are is to write their name (or have me write it if they prefer), color it, and write 3 good things about themselves or things they like. Then we take a picture of them holding their name, and by the next day we have it on the wall. As they see others with their pictures up, they are more eager to go along with this assignment, but we have many still missing. One of my favorite things to do is get a picture book and read it to a few children as they are eating lunch. They are a captive audience then, so I try to catch the kids that I have noticed leave right after lunch. Usually several others crowd in to listen as well. Next week more children will be coming as some of them were still on winter break this week. We’ll see how we do at getting to know even more kids!

El Bichito: Meet the Hicken Family!

We are excited to introduce the Hickens! This awesome family is volunteering for a semester at El Bichito. They are our first full family to intern for such a long period of time. We are excited to have them! Look for updates from them as we move through fall! Following is a bit of their story:

 This is us, Brent, Sunny, Kai, Renen, Sierra, & Lily.  We are the new “interns” at El Bichito. We are also, apparently, the first volunteer family.  Many have asked us what our story is, so here goes.

Years ago before my husband and I knew each other, we both spent an extended time in Spanish speaking countries working with people who had significantly less monetarily than we were accustomed to.  We both found this time so educational and beneficial to our personal development that we wanted our children to have such an experience (and we wanted more for ourselves, too!)  For years as we raised our family, we planned and looked for an opportunity to go to a Spanish speaking country, not as tourists or to live in an elite ex-pat neighborhood, but to really be part of the native community.  We wanted an experience for our family that could open their eyes to other ways of life, help them learn Spanish (since that is the second language my husband and I knew), and give them an opportunity to serve just for the sake of their fellow man.  Our children were getting older, and we finally decided we didn’t have any more time to wait for an opportunity to arise.  I searched the internet again looking for opportunities and came across Eagle-Condor Humanitarian.  Even though young interns were the normal source of volunteers, I contacted them to see if our family could possibly be part of their program for the time we could carve out—one semester.  They were flexible and had opportunities that would help us reach this goal for our family.  We spent about a year ironing out details (like arranging to do school and work online, since we couldn’t take off either one, finding someone to take care of our home in the U.S., learning about the different programs with Eagle Condor, getting passports, etc.).  Amazingly, it all came together, and here we are!

            As you might imagine, taking a family on such an adventure has been a bit more of a challenge than going just as a single young person.  We have only been here a couple of weeks, and we are just starting to settle in.  We still haven’t figured out a lot of how to do things.  Cooking, cleaning, school, work, errands, laundry—it’s still all part of our days just as before we came and it takes a lot longer now, too.  But I know this time of our lives will be life shaping.  In a way, this seems like a crazy time to leave home.  Our youngest started Kindergarten and we have a high school freshman and senior, both missing school activities that were a big part of their teenage lives.  The language has been a big barrier for them, though they do notice an improvement already.  Since our kids can’t talk much with the kids who come yet, one thing they do is to set an example by doing their own homework after lunch (something we keep trying to encourage all the kids to do).  Lily, our youngest, loves playing active games like ball or tag with the kids in front of the center.  Sierra, who is the age of a lot of the kids here, has both made friends and gotten teased by the boys.  (“Sierra…costa, selva!” they say to her, naming the three geographical areas of Peru—the mountains, the coast, and the jungle).  Kai, our high school senior, is teaching a small English class and just today he started tutoring a student in math for a college entrance exam.  He is currently taking AP Calculus online and felt confident about his math skills, but he said that teaching math in Spanish is a lot harder than he expected.  He also told us tonight that he realized that the hard things are often the best things to do.  I’m glad to hear him say that, because coming here has definitely not been an easy thing for our family, but it may well be one of the best.