Ok so it’s really time I got another blog up! Not sure how
long it’s been but it’s been more than 2 weeks for sure!
So last time I wrote I had just got back from Bolivia and
was settling into a new routine of work. Well fair to say I'm settled now and
the work is crazy! We’re back to the 12-14 hour days which was a bit of a shock
to the system after having taken 2 weeks off. We’re up early every morning and
we take the babies in casa 5 to therapy and stimulation for 4 hours. We then
come back and help get them all fed then washed and sometimes put down for a
nap. In the evening we are still continuing with the Self-esteem classes which
are really popular with the kids. They ask every week without fail if it’s on
and what we’re doing this week. It’s really great they enjoy it so much as we
started it up not quite knowing what to expect or how they would react. Lou and
I have also started going to the gym in our spare time. Eating rice everyday
has taken its toll on us and we’re determined to get fit and healthy for going
home and for the long trek up Machu Picchu in 6 weeks’ time!
So now to some of the stuff that’s been happening in the
aldea. Sheyla recently had her 15th birthday which meant a huge fiesta. People
just love to party here! The army cadets showed up and once again the aldea
boys showed them who the better dancers were. If anyone didn’t read my first
blog then I’ll explain again. 1th birthdays here are the equivalent of a sweet
16 or an 18th birthday. Although you’re not legally allowed to do
anything different it’s still “the big birthday”. A group from the local army
cadets show up and help the girl make her entrance in style then loads of
speeches and toasts are made by family, friends and people of importance in the
girls’ life. Then (at least in the aldea) the birthday girl and her friends do
a dance routine or two for everyone. The secretary Annie choreographed one
which was really impressive. She had all the youth up dancing some really great
moves in perfect sync. Then as with any party here everyone dances until the
early hours of the morning. Definitely going to miss aldea parties when I’m
gone, so we’ll make sure our despedida is a good one!
It’s not unusual for kids to come into the aldea or even to
leave but recently I’ve been thinking more and more about it. On Sunday we had
2 new arrivals, Josue (4) and Carlos (2). These 2 boys came in after having
been abandoned on the street. I don’t know how long for but judging by the
state of them it had been a while. They were filthy and little Carlos didn’t
have any shoes. Josue said that their mum didn’t have money to look after them.
Today one of the school age boys is leaving to go back to his family. He’s only
been here 10 months and I’m not sure of his family situation. He’s a sweet boy
and says he wants to go back home but I can’t help but feel worried for what’s
next for him. Yesterday whilst in a moto taxi with Louise, I spotted a boy who
had left the aldea a few months back. He left the aldea to move back with his
family as in some way their situation had changed. He was on the street,
washing car windscreens at the traffic lights. I felt sad at seeing him like
this. For all I know he’s happy but at the same time he was happy in the aldea,
where he had a house, food, an education and opportunities. Now he’s spending
his time washing windscreens. Another case is of Pancho and Meche. They were
the 2 toddlers I wrote a blog about a few months back when they were taken
home. I personally haven’t seen them since however 2 of the Tias have on
separate occasions come across them in the hospital and they both said the same
thing, they look thin, dirty and sad. I’m not saying they aren’t being looked
after or loved, but I know that when they left they went back to a family who
didn’t have any money to buy necessities. The aldea is such an amazing place
and I can’t say that enough. The kids here are safe and have enough food,
clothing and toys. They all have an education and even get extracurricular
activities such as baking classes and cosmetology. The kids who can’t read or
write are all learning how to. Josue and
Carlos both now have shoes and Josue is going to school! For him, that probably
wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t been brought into the aldea. Seeing that
boy yesterday made my heart sink. He’s not yet old enough to get a job or a
house of his own. He left the aldea when he was young and now he’s back to what
he was possibly doing before he came here. I always thought the aldea was
amazing but now more so than ever. The children that can’t fend for themselves
are given what they need to live for free. Not only that they are given role
models, safety and a family. It’s hard to look at some of the kids and wonder
what they’ll be doing in 10 years’ time because the truth is for a lot of them
if they leave the aldea before their 18 and finished their education, they’ll
be back to square 1.
So, just a short paragraph at the end about little Jessica.
Basically she’s doing amazingly. She’s continuing with her physical therapy and
is also now getting speech therapy. She’s almost walking although still needs a
finger to hold on to for balance but she’s nearly there! Every now and then
she’ll take a few solo steps between people but when she notices people
praising her she turns into a show off and starts laughing and won’t do it
again. She also has so many words now. She likes to mimic what other people say
though. One day a couple of weeks back I was trying to feed Emiliano which is a
tough job trying to get him to eat as he never wants to. Anyway I was telling
him that he needed to eat when I heard a loud shout from Jessie. She was
yelling “COMER! COMER! (EAT! EAT!)” at Emiliano from her own high chair. It was
so funny! She just likes to tell people what to do. She’s a bossy little madam
sometimes. One of the things I love most is playing with her in the evenings
when all the other kids have been put to bed. She gets so hyper and is such fun
to be around. I often have a sore tummy laughing so much at Jessie. She’s so
big now and recently the news came that when she is able to walk alone she will
be moving back to the aldea in Huarmaca to be closer to her mum.
Ok so I think that’s about all for now!
Bye
