Olivia, Sofia, and I before dancing the Tinkus.
A group from CdP dancing the Saya!
The other group dancing the Taquirari!
The little ones from CdP dancing a traditional dance from Potosi!
The little angles from PdC!
Our Tinkus group!
The backdrop we put together that displayed the girls "thank you" flowers and photos!
Yesterday, Friday, September 23rd, 2011, we celebrated Ninos con Valor's 5th anniversary! The foundation has been changing Bolivian children's lives for five years--giving children love and encouragement, giving children a home and food, giving children the support and the guidance they need to overcome past traumas and succeed. I am so privileged to work with Ninos con Valor, an organization that not only has homes for boys and girls, but also works with poor, rural families and extremely poor, rural communities. NCV is dedicated to changing the lives of Bolivian children--one child at a time!
We began the morning by decorating the girls' home with balloons, bows, and photos. The girls helped as we cleaned, decorated, and set-up chairs for the guests. I helped decorate the back-drop with flowers the girls made thanking NCV for the love, support, and kindness (some of the flowers were extremely sweet, showing the strong bond between the girls in the home.), photos of the children from the beginning until now--and how much they have all grown!
As 7:00 PM approached, we put the final decorations up and got all the girls in dance costumes. Guests began to arrive, including a team visiting from the Seattle area, Members from the NCV Bolivian Board, fellow volunteer agencies, and friends of the staff and girls. Margot, one of the Bolivian board members, MCed the event. She began by explaining the foundation and the numerous projects, including the two homes, the One Child at a Time program that works with poor families and rural communities, and the future Streetlight program, which will work with children living on the streets, especially single mothers.
The kids from Pedacito de Cielo were the first to dance. They were dressed as little angels, and danced to religious songs sung by other kids! They were so cute, and did a really great job following the tias! I remember the last anniversary party, and most of them cried through the whole performance! The second dance number was the littlest girls from Corazon del Pastor. They did a traditional dance from Potosi with the polleras (traditional skirts) and shirts, hats and "babies" in their agoyos. Karina, the oldest of this group, did a spectacular job and helped guide the littler ones during the dance. After, the middle-aged girls danced the Taquirari, another traditional dance. The Taquirari is from Santa Cruz, Beni, and the Pando--all the jungly areas of Bolivia. Because it originated in areas with a lot of humidity and heat, the outfits worn are colorful dresses, a red flower in the hair, and no shoes. However, there was a lot of wind and cold last night, but the girls toughed it out and wore no shoes and no jackets--I was very impressed! Next, some of the other girls danced the Saya, another traditional dance from the Yungas, the jungle area of La Paz. The Saya is a mix of African, Aymara, and Spanish music and dance. It is a wonderfully fun dance, with lots of movement and a good beat! The girls were dressed in all white with the pollera (traditional skirt) and shirt with black hats and brown shawls. The tias had a surprise for four of the older girls who excelled in school and led their classes in the parade this year. Lourdes and Ana, Sofia and Valeria were all acknowledged and presented with small gifts, and Tia Jacki, the director of NCV, was given a frame with all the girls pictures. Finally, Sofia and Olivia, Ana and Abigail, Tia Pati and I danced the Tinkus. The Tinkus is a dance from Potosi that depicts a form of ritualistic combat. We wore long, embroidered dresses in either red of blue, hats decorated with feathers and ribbons, and waist sashes. I was extremely nervous, but think I did pretty well, considering I learned the dance 2 days before the celebration! Also, it was so fun to dance with the girls--we had tons of fun practicing and getting ready together. Margot closed by thanking everyone for attending, and because of the wind and cold, we moved inside to eat hors d'oeuvres and toast the foundation.
After a bit, the dance party began! The dance parties are my favorite part of the NCV celebrations! I love dancing with the girls--some of my best memories are dancing at parties with them! Last night was tons of fun and such an honor to be a part of!
Here's to five more amazing years, Ninos con Valor!
No comments:
Post a Comment