Aldeas (which means village)
I have finally had my first working week, and now I know how my schedule here looks like;
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday Thursday | Friday |
| Meeting with the street work crew at 09.30 (if you’re late you have to buy cake for next meeting) | Street work 10.00 – 12.00 Traveling to Aldeas (the orphanage we’re working at) | - Preparing breakfast and making sure the kids get to school - Helping out in the bakery or the kitchen - Hanging out with the kids, helping them with homework etc. | Like a normal morning at Aldeas Traveling home at 17.00 |
It is so good to finally be doing what we came here for. My boys are so nice (most of the time), but that they’re in need of attention you can hear from the way they all are screaming “mami” to the cabañas educator, which they have to share with nine other boys. So even though I don’t always feel very useful, as I only understand half of what they’re saying and still don’t know all their routines, I see the importance of just being there, seeing them, playing with them and hugging them.
The school most of my boys are attending
On Thursday we watched a play at the school. One of my boys at the left.
One of my boys in the middle, and yes, in a girl's clothes
Since we’re only staying there four days a week, I can trick myself into imagining that when we’re gone, they go home to their parents and live a normal family life. Not that I have beentrying to fool myself, but I think it is because of that mind trick I didn’t have any strong reactions to the children’s situation until last night. As I was lying in my bed thinking about what to write in this blog about the kids, I all of a sudden was overwhelmed by this sorrow for these children. They have no other place than Aldeas. They have to share this adult person with at least nine other kids, they are not taken to the city or for a vacation or to visit their grandparents just like that. And what makes the strongest impact on me, is knowing that at least one of the boys used to have a normal family, but he lost both his parents in an accident. I try imagining moving from my perfectly fine and safe family in a small, cozy house, to an institution with more than sixty other kids… I don’t know if I could handle that.
However, Alalay is the best option for these kids. It is an amazing organization, and the way they have managed to make kind of a family feeling in the cabañas is so impressive. The educators are doing a great job at parents, and there is no doubt that they love the kids. The children of Aldeas seem to have a good life, as good as a life can be in an institution. I just realize how incredibly lucky we are, all of us who live in a family and have parents who love us, care for us and are capable of giving us a decent life. Therefore I want to end this blog post by thanking my mom and dad – you are the best!
Fra Bolive it or not
Fra Bolive it or not
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