Family.

What is a family? According to Google, the definition of a family is: “A group consisting of parents and children living together in a household.” When I was younger, I believed this was an accurate, true description of a family. Everyone I knew had parents and some had siblings. However, this belief was based on my experiences, not on reality.

Based on Google’s definition, Pedacito de Cielo (the baby home) and Corazon del Pastor (the girls’ home) are not families. There are no parents that live in these houses. And, the children living in the homes are not related. But, after volunteering at both homes for over a year, I know that both homes are families. And each child realizes his or her responsibility to the others.

At Corazon del Pastor, the older girls look after the younger ones like they are of the same blood. When one is hurt or upset, there is always another girl’s shoulder to cry on. Playing is so much better when you have six “sisters” to imagine and create with. There is always someone in the study room to keep you company when you have homework to do. And, best of all, in my opinion, the tias and volunteers get 22 good morning and goodbye hugs and kisses! And, just like any sibling group, there are quarrels and fights. But, at the end of the day, the girls are a family–they support and love each other unconditionally. They understand that they have many sisters to share life with.

At Pedacitio del Cielo, the older ones help the little ones and teach them important lessons–how “to cook,” how “to read,” and how “to shop.” Birthday celebrations are a big deal–each child wears dress clothes and knows exactly whose big day it is. The big milestones-first steps and first words-are celebrated by all. The littlest ones are sometimes even fed by the older ones. The staff of Pedacito make sure all the kids understand and appreciate that they are all brothers and sisters.

After my time in Bolivia and working with Ninos con Valor, I have come to realize that one cannot simply define a family by the members, but by the love and connection between the people within the group. The children of Ninos con Valor may not have the same mother and father, and may not even come from the same place, but they all share a connection and have immense love for each other. Many of the children have similar pasts, and from this negative has come something positive–a special bond that will last forever and siblings who will always have your back .

This is what defines a family.

Passion and Heart

The Little Moments...

Yesterday I was genuinely frustrated with things in life that are out of my control, including the long, unorganized process to get my second year visa. But, there were numerous little moments throughout the day where I realized how lucky I am to live in Bolivia and to work with children who remind me how important it is to stay forever young.

While washing the dishes with Johana, we shared stories about our lives. Although she and her sisters did not have the most positive childhood, she has so much love and kindness in her, something that inspires me!

I walked to pick-up Zamora from kindergarten in the afternoon, and was greeted with the biggest, most amazing hug ever! (Her little brother, Alarico, definitely takes after her hugging skills!) She has a smile and personality big enough to light up a room, and her laugh is contagious!

Lourdes and I bonded over her math homework! I have never liked math, but helping Lourdes gave me a new appreciation for it! We shared laughs over completely wrong answers, and eventually finished all the problems between the two of us!

Evelyn and I colored for most of the morning, and I can’t remember the last time I sat down to color and draw!

Lunch time conversations are always a highlight of my day! I get to ask the girls about school and life, and always hear hilarious stories! Sometimes, we just laugh and laugh and laugh–something that is so important for a healthy, happy life.

These are the little, seemingly insignificant, moments that have made my time in Bolivia amazingly beautiful! Seeing smiling and laughing faces, encouraging the kids to keep trying and seeing their faces light up with success, watching Alarico and Mateo take their first steps, and the list goes on and on.

Here’s to many more little, insignificant moments that add up to something amazing, something unique!

And, It Continues...

So, with moving the baby home and helping the team, things have been a bit chaotic down here. But, everything is beginning to wind down and return to normal. The three girls from Pedacito--Raeka, Lily, and Victoria--have moved in to Corazon del Pastor with the other girls. They are adjusting well, and are getting all tons of attention from the older girls! And, the all the boys have moved into the new house, and absolutely love it! The teams and the decorators did a wonderful job painting the bedrooms, classrooms, and bathrooms! Each of the bedrooms has a theme--one has airplanes and clouds, another has monkeys, birds, and elephants, and the other has a city theme. The yard is huge so there is plenty of room to run, jump, and play!

While moving, a group of us were discussing the two extremes--poverty and abundance. Because of the extreme poverty in Bolivia, throwing stuff away is unheard of. People take broken furniture to shops to get it repaired, children play with toys when they are broken and old, containers and wrappers are saved for future use. At both homes, the tias are extremely reluctant to throw anything away. Things are always salvageable and can be put to use again--an attitude rooted in poverty. The other extreme, wealth and plentifulness was seen during the move with a team who came down to specifically paint the new house. Paola, who was in charge of buying everything needed to fix up the house, bought some new buckets. These colorful, plastic buckets cost $2.50 USD/17.25 Bolivianos. This may not seem like a lot, but majority of Bolivians cannot afford just one of these buckets (Many Bolivians make under $1 USD/6.9 Bolivianos per day). Paola and Kimber explained to the team that these buckets were not to be used for paint or anything that could stain them. However, majority of the buckets were used to mix paint ad never washed out. Once we found them a week later, the paint had dried and ruined the buckets. Coming from a culture of excess and abundance, the team most likely thought that the buckets are cheap and more can be purchased. Being a small, non-profit, buying more buckets because the others were not taken care of is not part of the budget. It is definitely interesting to see the two extremes in play down here--the Bolivians who are afraid to toss anything due to poverty and the North Americans that use and abuse things because more can always be purchased.

Yesterday, I worked at the boys home (So weird to say because Pedacito used to be the baby home, but now it only houses boys) and one of the little girls who attends daycare with us, but is not a resident, was in the bathroom washing her hands with me. And, I asked her how mom was, and she responded with "Bien." Then, she went on to say, "Mi papa esta en cielo" (My dad is in heaven/the sky). I wasn't sure if I heard correctly, so I asked one of the other tias if that is what she said. The tia explained to me that this little 2 year-olds dad had died a while back. This broke my heart that a 2 year-old could say that her dad was in heaven. My dad was such an important part of my life, and I wish that all children, but especially girls, could have a wonderful, positive, supportive, constant male figures in their lives.

In other news, in a week and a half I will be traveling to Sucre and Potosi with Kait, a fellow volunteer who will be returning to Canada shortly after our adventure. I will miss her and am so glad I got to know her. It is so hard being down here because you make friends, and then sooner or later they leave. There are always sad, tearful goodbyes--this is just part of life here, but something I will never get used to. Because we are all missing family and friends from home and are experiencing similar frustrations and occurrences while living in a foreign country, bonding with those down here is quite easy, and getting used to seeing these people everyday is not uncommon.

But, life continues and sooner or later I will have to say my tearful, sad goodbyes to those I will leave behind here in Bolivia. But, until that day, I will continue to enjoy my work, enjoy life as a Cochabambina, and enjoy my friends I have met here.

Che Guevara's Wise Words

Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, Argentinian Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, guerrilla leader, major figure of the Cuban Revolution, and strong believer of freedom, equality, and justice, once said, "What do we leave behind when we cross each frontier? Each moment seems split in two; melancholy for what was left behind and the excitement of entering a new land." This quote puts my feelings about living in Bolivia perfectly! It is difficult to leave behind such wonderful friends and family, however, at the same time, feelings of excitement--beginning a new phase of life in an entirely different culture, learning a different language, and discovering what is truly important and just how strong you are--linger. Leaving behind the comforts of the States has allowed me to grow and mature, develop my own beliefs and find my place in the world as a global citizen. I am currently sitting and watching a beautiful sunset from my apartment in Cochabamba, realizing how lucky I am to be here, but also missing everyone from home!

This week has been quite the week! Extra work with a team here and painting and cleaning the new house. And on top of all the work stress, having some type of amoeba or parasite yet again. Needless to say, I am quite exhausted and worn-out. But, again, there are the little moments that make everything better--seeing the little faces smile and laugh, bonding with people who have the same outlook on life and love for Bolivia, and creating a special bond with the girls. After three days of working and feeling awful, I had the day off today. I slept in a little, had a delicious breakfast of coffee and homemade bagels (Thanks to Tierra a Tierra! If you are in the CBBA area, let me know if you would like the information to order bagels and other amazingly delicious products!) and headed to a feria (a craft fair) in a plaza. We perused the tents with jewelry and handbags, natural products and Bolivian artesian gifts. I love these ferias! I am feeling a little better today, but still stuck with stomach pains and nausea. I did, however, take a sample into the lab, so on Tuesday morning I will know exactly what I have--hoping it's not e. coli!

That's all for now. This week will be extremely busy with the move of Pedacito and all the activities with the team. Also, I am turning in my paperwork for my second year visa, so I am hoping and praying all goes well, there are no complications, and everything gets processed quickly!

Hope all is well with everyone, sending lots of love!

The Little Faces That Bring So Much Joy!

After being sick all day yesterday, the last thing I wanted to do today was go to work. With very little sleep, a very upset stomach, and a bad headache, I got up and got ready for work-begrudingly. Brushing my teeth and washing my face, putting on clothes and packing up my bag took so much energy, and before I even left for work, I was drained!

But, once I got to work, everything felt better! I looked at the little, smiling, happy faces and realized there are more important things than my sick stomach and achy head. They make me forget the small, trivial happenings that we have no control over, and make me realize and appreciate all the people and little gifts that have been placed in our life to bring happiness, joy, and love.

These little faces bring so much joy and happiness to my life, even when I am under the weather and homesick.

The Commons Team

For the last two weeks, a team from The Commons Church in Hamilton, Canada has been here working with the organization. It is wonderful to have teams come down and see what we are doing, especially since many of the teams have been supporting us for years. While here, the team from Canada did wonderful activities with the girls of Corazon del Pastor and the little ones at Pedacito de Cielo, including trips to the park and decorating the cement soccer field with chalk, tie-dye shirts and a photo shoot party, making kites and a pinata. Although everyone did not speak the same language,we were all able to communicate well through hand movements, smiles, and of course, a lot of laughter.

It is fun for the volunteers when teams come to visit because they bring with them a little piece of home, something we are missing. And, majority of the time, we all become friends through the activities, the shopping, the outrageousness of everyday Bolivian occurrences, and the trips to rural areas like Mizque. However, it is even more fun and exciting for the girls and the little ones because they are introduced to new people and new cultures. Those who come down are interested in the children and want to help them, as well as have fun, play, and laugh with our amazing kids . The kids always have a thousand questions for the visitors–what their lives are like, do they have pets, their favorite foods, their favorite music, what Canada looks like, what famous people they have seen, do they like chicken, and the list goes on.

Along with the numerous art projects and fun outings, we went to Mizque with the team. I think it is wonderful that visitors can visit a very rural, traditional area like Mizque because this is the reality of majority of Bolivians. A good number of Bolivians live under the poverty line and in small, rural towns. We visited Pantipampa, a community Ninos con Valor has worked with for a few years, and painted two classrooms that are used to educate children in the area. We also played soccer and parachute games with the kids, and the community members sang, marched, and danced to show their Bolivian pride right before August 6th, Bolivian independence day. The following day we sliced and diced vegetables for the solar oven workshop. It was wonderful to see how excited the women of the daycares were about using and experimenting with the solar ovens. I always enjoy these trips to Mizque because it is a wonderful break from city life, and gives us a new perspective on what is important. Not to mention, the children of these small communities are absolutely beautiful and amazingly appreciative of everything. Many of the kids are apprehensive and shy, but slowly begin to warm-up, especially sitting in the back of a dump truck playing hand games and laughing so hard!

So, thank you Commons Team for the wonderful memories! We miss you already! Come back soon!

Shocked.

Today, we had to say goodbye to one of the girls. She will be returning to her family, and her departure from the home was announced less than a half an hour before she left with her cousin. This came as a complete shock! The girls who are home during the afternoon were sitting in the study room when the psychologist walked in and announced that she would be returning to her family. However, as of now, it is uncertain where the young girl will end up. She has many different family members--her father, her grandfather, her grandmother, and cousins--traveling into the city during the next few days to sort out where and with whom she will be staying, and who will have legal guardianship. It is incredibly sad to me that she has a multitude of family members who live in the area, and many of them have said they have no interest or desire of taking her in. Her mom died when she was younger, and her dad lives and works in a mine in a very small, rural town in the Yungas, the jungle area in the department of La Paz.

She had previously lived at the girls home, and eventually went to live with her cousin. About two months ago, however, she showed up at the home bruised and crying because her cousin had been abusing her--mentally and physically. Transitioning back into the house has been very difficult for her, especially since she was given too much freedom for a girl her age while living with her cousin. Lately, she has seemed very unhappy because boundaries have been set in order to protect her, but she does not see it this way.

So, to say goodbye to her today was very strange and very sad. She has bounced between the homes of different family members and Ninos con Valor, and I only hope that she can find a stable, peaceful, comforting environment. She is an extremely sweet girl, but has been damaged and scarred by her experiences and the unfortunate circumstances she was thrown into.

I hope our paths cross again one day, and I hope she finds peace. I know that I will think of her often, as I think of Camila who left in January to live with her sister. This is definitely the hardest part of this work--saying goodbye to kids, especially knowing that they will not be returning to an ideal situation. But, we must have faith that things will work out.

Mizque: Dump Truck Days

He sat next to me on the ride home. I taught him Picachu, a popular hand game here in Bolivia.


The chicha man passing out a last round in the truck!


Our send-off, complete with music and white confetti, a symbol of peace and harmony.


She is so beautiful! She hung around as we painted and helped translate for us!


The three girls that watched as we painted, and decided to run away when we asked for help!


This little boy was so shy, but so cute!


The kids from the wawawasi (daycare/preschool) waiting in line for their new blankets.


He could not speak Spanish, but wanted his picture taken! Amazing how you can communicate without words!

This was my second trip to Mizque, a rural province in the department of Cochabamba. Both trips have put everything into perspective--what is truly important and how lucky we are to have an excess of things. This trip was a little different, as we visited a different community and held a workshop to show nine daycares/preschools how to use solar ovens, but still very touching and memorable.

Tuesday morning we began our journey to Mizque, arriving at the girls' home at 7 AM to organize everything and last minute pack. Despite an early arrival, we ended up leaving an hour late because we could not fit all 9 solar ovens on the bus. After a beautifully amazing 4 hour ride, we arrived in Mizque! We went to lunch first because everyone was starving, and then hung out for the rest of the day-visited the river, walked around the small market and town, ate ice cream. After dinner and a few games of cacho (a Bolivian dice game), we headed to bed.

Wednesday was an amazing, yet full day! We woke up early, and headed to Pantipampa, a very small, rural community about three hours outside of the city of Mizque, in a DUMP TRUCK! Yes, we made the trek in a dump truck, which was great for taking pictures and star gazing when coming back into the town. With the windy switchbacks and rough cliffs, it was quite the ride, but we survived! When we pulled into Pantipampa, the band was playing and they were getting ready to dance. We quickly got into painting the two classrooms and playing games with the kids. One of the husbands of the educators helped us mix the paint and talked with us as we painted.
Then, the members of the community marched around the soccer field two times shouting patriotic phrases, shooting fireworks, and waving flags. After the parade, the singing of the country's songs and hymns began, as well as the traditional dances. I found it very interesting that the kids made all the costumes that were used. (In the city, people rent and buy costumes for the dances.) A delicious lunch of charque (beef or llama jerky), potatoes, corn and cheese, and fava beans was served, as well as numerous rounds of chicha, a fermented corn drink!
After lunch, we hung out and put a second coat of paint on the classrooms. A group of girls watched as we painted, and when we tried to recruit their help, they kept running away giggling. One of the girls understood Spanish, so she helped us out as we asked questions and got to know them. (Majority of the adults and kids did not speak Spanish, so communicating with them was difficult. Going to Mizque makes me want to learn Quechua so I could communicate with those in the rural communities.) And, while painting, the men passing out chicha continued to come in and invite us to cups. It is a way for them to show the gratitude and give back to us. So, I became good at painting and drinking cups of chicha!
After painting and talking with those who could understand Spanish, we were given a proper send-off with singing and music, and white confetti (a symbol of peace and harmony) placed on our heads. Before they allowed us to leave, we had to dance for them, which turned into quite the free-for-alll. We packed up the dump truck, which included the chicha man climbing in to give everyone one last round, families who lived far away and had walked into the town center, and wonderful memories from our visit to Pantipampa.
On the ride back, I talked with a woman (with the help of a lady with us who could speak Quechua) about her family, and she was so sweet! It was frustrating not being able to tell her everything I wanted to, but I was thankful someone was there to help translate. One day, maybe I will be able to speak to this woman and other Quechua speakers. The ride with about 40 people crammed into one dump truck was so fun and a very bonding experience-hand games, and many laughs, which was wonderful, considering many of us did not speak each other's language. These are the moments I live for, and appreciate that I live here in Bolivia. After dropping the families off near their homes, which were a good 30 minute drive from where we began, we headed back to the town of Mizque. The sun set and the stars began to appear, and it was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen!

Thursday we spent the morning chopping and dicing vegetables for the solar oven demonstration. We brought nine of the ovens for daycares and preschools of different communities in Mizque. The educators came to see how Maritza, a tia at the girls' home, and Lupe, a representative from the oven company, made different meals. We ended up eating the food that was prepared in the ovens for lunch-rice and pasta, quinoa and potatoes, lentils and chicken, and pound cake-and it was delicious! The educators were extremely excited about their new ovens, and were excited to experiment with them! After lunch, we cleaned up, packed up, and headed home.

These trips to Mizque definitely have changed my life-seing the beauty of the people and realizing that even though they do not have much, they give back what the can and appreciate everything they have been given! I am thankful I have had the chance to visit the rural communities, meet the kids, play games with them, give out food and blankets, paint classrooms, and experience a completely new culture and tradition. I cannot put into words what it feels like to meet and be welcomed into a warm culture, and help those who have much less.

Thank you, Bolivia, for these amazing memories!