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!

Fabricio (Amanda)

Amanda, an intern at La Aldea Infantil, gives us some insight into Fabricio's life and needs:

Fabricio is a little angel. Each week on Monday and Wednesday one of the volunteers escorts little Fabri to the hospital in Trujillo so that he can work with the physical therapist. We do not know what all happened to him before he came to the Aldea, but as a result he is far behind on his mental and physical development. He does not react to very much and very rarely cries. He does smile often, however, and he has the sweetest giggle that erupts when you tickle him in just the right spot under his little chin.

I was talking to the the physical therapist on Wednesday when I went with Fabricio to the hospital and she was explaining to me the type of attention that Fabri needs at home in order to ensure that his little legs and neck muscles develop correctly. Fabri works with the nurse at the Aldea, Marta, a few times a week, but his condition requires extensive attention--the type of attention that is difficult to get in a home where there are nine other children who all have needs of their own. If I could I would take Fabricio home with me.

If you are interested in helping a child like Fabricio, click here for more information.

Guadalupe the Artist! (Janel)

Janel, an intern at La Aldea Infantil, gives us a peek into Guadalupe's life and talents:

Guadalupe (in yellow) not only likes to joke around and laugh, but loves to color and paint. Unfortuantely, she does not have materials of her own. I brought a couple of coloring books to her house and she immediately grabbed extra paper and began tracing the pictures. She wanted to have pictures to be able to color when I left. She even traced enough to share with the younger girls. I encouraged her to color the pictures in the book and that I would draw pictures for her to color. She loved my drawings! I looked at the pictures that she especially enjoyed and drew similar glamorous girls with over sized eyes and altered them a bit to resemble her peers.

She couldn't get enough of it and was sad when it was time for me to go.

Although her test scores might not be up to par with the average 17 year old, her love of crafts and creativity level surpasses that of any teenager. Upon being questioned, she confirmed that she will be continuing her work when she leves the Aldea. Make a note of her name because you could someday be buying her artwork.

Victor David (Hao)

Hao, one of our interns at La Aldea Infantil, introduces us to Victor David:

Victor David (the one on the left with the soccer t-shirt) is, without a doubt, one of the smartest, coolest, and most mature twelve year-olds that I have ever met. He actively tries to explore and participate in things that he´s never tried before (for example, American Football) while other kids his age refuse to do so because they had never done so before. Something about him inspires my confidence in his ability to succeed in the future. All in all, Victor David is one of the greatest kids I have met to date.

Gabriel (Amanda)

Amanda, a new intern at La Aldea Infantil, introduces us to Gabriel:

My first week at the Aldea!! I am getting to know the kids and learning names of everyone. There are so many precious faces and unique personalities, but one little boy that has really stood out to me this week is Gabriel. He is so quiet that you wouldn't even know he was in the room. He has the most pensieve little dark eyes under long lashes that are very much into detail. I sat next to him while we worked on arts and crafts and he was so intent on his masterpiece. Kids were everywhere and drawing and laughing and pasting and little Gabriel was so focused and still. I watched while he added unique detail to his picture--things that we had not included in the original example that served as a guide and which most of the other children copied exaclty. Gabriel also has a favorite toy. A small tire. All around the Aldea you can see Gabriel running alongside his tire, rolling it occassionally with his little hand as he goes. His little bare feet race by the sheep and the lambs that graze freely on the grass patches between the 10 houses that make up the campus of the Aldea. I love watching him in his sport and I love the fact that he came up with it all on his own. He rarely speaks, but his smile is never very far away, especially when you call out his name and wave to him. Little Gabriel has found a very special place in my corazon :)

Nayeli (Janel)

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

Nayeli is a perfectionist. She has her eraser nearby while she works on her homework and corrects her handwriting if it was not the best it could be! Nayeli's attention to detail impressed me because after the children finish their homework they can go out and play. She takes special interest in the interns unlike many of the children who keep to themselves. She takes the time to remember names and patiently speaks slower to me so I can better understand. She enjoys the fiestas and loves to dress up in her favorite denim skirt. Nayeli always has two little pig tails in her hair to top it all off.

To learn more about sponsoring a child, like Nayeli, click here.