27-8-2012

We were in the sandpit playing!

The boys were making some birthday cakes!

Franco was super excited about the cakes!

Benito and Alexander with their sugar scrub.

Jorge was involved too!  He needs to learn about hygiene, and it's the first step.

This is how we put the tea tree and oatmeal mask on.

A group photo of everyone with masks.

I put it on Rafa as well while he was working.

Julio trying to climb up the tunnel at therapy.

We went to the feria, and it was the first time that Benito, who turned 22 recently, went up to the fairy wheel!

It was the first time for Rafa and Moises too.

And it was the first time for Rafa to try wine!  It was just sample given us with our dinner.

Rafa and Paul were playing strings in a very very cold day ..... I don't know how the kids can wear short sleeves!

Trompo, a very simple toy that twirls around, is a very popular game they all play.

And then we took the kids to play Twister!

It's the girls' turn.  We taught them to make a lovely fruit and vegetable salad.

Adela poured some apple vinegar in after everyone's hard work of peeling and chopping.

Here it is!

It has been a great start of work!  A lot of positive changes have happened:  The little ones who didn’t speak started to make some noises and said some words; the ones who didn’t speak clearly start to make some senses of what they speak; imparting positive values to the kids; a lot of behavioral measures around the house; many fun workshops.  But funny thing is that today everyone suddenly has become so hard working, with many good ideas and thoughts.  If it were me that facilitate all these sudden changes, I’m very happy but I hope they ‘stay’.  

With the little ones, one of the main things was to get them out, play and use their imagination as much as possible.  And they are capable of doing that!  One of the hardest works is to deal with their behavioral issues.  Being a behavioral specialist, it is not difficult for me, but unfortunately here it is not totally up to me because there are 100 kids, and they spend most of their time with the local workers.  Well, token system around each house is implemented, and I visit each house as much as possible to view what is happening and to reinforce the positive behaviors.  Fortunately the local workers are very supportive and some even ask for my help and come up with their ideas.  Virginia and I have been working together on it, and it has been going really great!  

The workshops are going really well as well.  Virginia and I are doing some many workshops:  sex education, play skills, exercise, social skills, home economics , personal development and even personal care!  By personal care, it means facials!  And not just facials, but facials with boys!  Funnily enough, the boys are so conscious about their look as they are in their adolescent years and suffering from acne unfortunately.  Well, in this respect I have so much experience (LOL!).  Also, some of the boys don’t really have a sense of personal hygiene because of their background and habits.  So it was a good idea to have this workshop, and they love it even the dirty boys!  I think part of it is because they can feel that we do care about them, and it is a fun thing to do with the group.  They sat on the couch waiting impatiently for us to put our tea tree oil and lemon oatmeal mask!  Sometimes I feel that they are older and they don’t need as much attention as the little ones.  But I soon realize that they need every single bit.  Adolescents are difficult and they don’t have the courage to express exactly how they feel, but with a little encouragement and genuine care, they are just like little children opening up for us to care for them.

Well, so much for the good news, we still have no clean water.  We had purchased a filter, but it is not working very well, and the water now has paint smell.  Last weekend we didn’t have water for two days, and so we didn’t shower or flush the toilet at all.  Well, now we are blessed with the water with paint smell, and hopefully we will have potable water soon.