Day 17

Today as we were on the bus to our first destination, Guasmo, there were huge piles of garbage in the middle of the road. It turned out the garbage trucks don't pass through the communities either side of the road and so they have no option but to bring it out and dump in on the road for collection. We guess that it is collected about once a week and with some many people to piles get huge. I only managed to get a picture of a small pile.
It was there that the family with 7 children lived. The women who had come to me on my first day crying that there mother had died and she needed our help; it turned out to be true. The four bedroom house sleeps 15 people, 10 children under 13. When we arrived Amelia, their grandmother was in bed, she got up to talk to us but had a drip in her arm, she had been coughing blood the night before.
Their father was also there. He sometimes works in Esmareldas in the north of the country but was there trying to organise their documents. He is forty something years old and doesn't have any papers. Nor do his children. He told us his Dad died when he was young and he's never tried to get them. Here in Ecuador, there is an identification card, the cedula that is obligatory to have once you turn 18. Unbeleiveable!
The next house had chickens running around inside and even they looked sad.
Next we went to Las Malvines. I felt less comfortable here than the other places, it seemed more closed off and less friendly. The first house we visited was of a family who's mother died two months ago leaving 5 children, one a now 6 month old baby. The father was at work but it seemed they were being looked after. Uri asked them if he drink, takes drugs or beats them. These questions, which i would never dare to ask in such an open situation were answered in what seemed an honest manner. He drinks sometimes when he partys and he beats them when they are naughty.
We visited multiple houses in this area. They all seemed like they were each doing their best to make the best life they could. One family however, was very distant. They didn't invite us in, they were rough and rude, none of them worked and they seemed to have a lot of things. We speculate that they are thieves and we are very worried for the young boy living their with these four adults. The grandmother was out the front of the house skinning and cutting up chicken. It made me feel sick to see the flies buzzing around on it as she talked to us.
It was a long day and I got sun burnt but we managed to do a lot of visits.

Day 16 - House visits

Today we went to an area in the South of Guayaquil. The South is notorious for being dangerous so rather than going in twos, all four of us went together. Israel, who is one of our high school students who has been helping out used to live in the area so we were happy to have him with us.
The area we visited is situated on the river and in the rainy season (now) is often flooded. Parts of it have cement roads and brick houses but the majority are made from Caña (bamboo) and have been built with the help of Hogar de Cristo, an organisation that provides free and low-cost housing to the poorest of the poor in Guayaquil and South America. We were told that 10 years ago much of the area was dense mangroves. (That explains the flooding.)
We met up with one of the mothers on the main road and she led us to her house. She was lucky enough to live in a brick home and even had a fan. She then became our guide as we moved from house to house around the area on mototaxis.
Most of the houses had basic services, water and electricity, they usually consisted of a small tv watching room, a bedroom or maybe two depending on how many people lived there (one three bedroom place had 15 inhabitants) and either a kitchen or a space in the tv room for cooking. Two of the houses had dividing walls made from unfolded cardboard boxes and they all had tin roofs which radiated the heat and made them feel like ovens. It was usually cooler outside than in.
In one very organised home a SARS awareness poster hung on the wall and in another a huge framed picture of the Emelec soccer premiership team of nineteen eighty something. It seemed like every single person shared a bed with at least one other person. The smallest house we saw, a one room brick place had a double bed and a double bunk bed for seven to share. Sadly only two of the three had mosquito nets covering them is an area where mosquitoes are a big problem.

Day 15 - Casa Abierta

The kids were waiting excitedly for me when I arrived at 9. We had to wait for the others to picked up as we were the last group, so I knew we would be a waiting a while. Luckily they have spent a lot of time pasting time without games and they quickly found things to do. Including jungling empty bottles and their favourit; football with an empty water bottle. Just as they were getting really anxious the bus arrived.
We toured the school before they were told the rules of the school and given a lesson on hygene. They were told that they should clean their teeth before and after eating, when they wake up and when they go to bed. They were also told that they should have AT LEAST 2 showers a day but more if they can. I was completely blown away. These kids have better hygene then me, I was tought that more than one shower is wasting water. However it is true that here in Guayaquil when your constantly covered in sweat it is nice to shower and feel clean for 5 minutes afterwards.
We then gave them time to play outside, followed by lunch with the other students. We have about 40 potential students, which is almost as many kids as we already have in the school so the school will be growing significantly.
We then told them the time and day of their house visits. They were all asking what we are doing tomorrow. They were expecting to meet up and play at the park again so were disappointed that they won't be seeing us again till next Monday.
To be honest, I'm a bit sad too. I've really enjoyed playing with them.

Oh and none of the bonice boys showed up :(

Day 14 - Final Day on the streets

It rained really heavily this morning and normally it would have stopped up from going but we needed to make sure the kids new the plans. So we went and only two kids were there. We told them all the relevant information, that Uri would be there at nine tomorrow morning to collect them and bring them to the Foundation. Unfortunately the Bonice boy we were really hoping to help didn't show up. We spotted two other bonice boys and followed them so they could pass the information for us. We really hope he got the message.
Before we left I made the mistake of getting a strawberry smoothy made with milk. I was feeling fine until about 30 mins later when I got really nauseous. Luckily, like all good Ecuadorians, Uri's parents new exactly what I should take for it and I was soon feeling great again.
In Alborada we told the kids the same information except that I would be there to meet them in the morning and then we played games for the last time. They are all really excited about finally going to the foundation tomorrow.
I too, can't wait.

Day 13

It was raining really heavily this morning so we could work with the first group but the sun was shinnig bright by the afternoon when we went to Alborada. The kids were very divided in the beginning, only wanting to play with the other kids they knew, but today they all played amazing well and with whoever happened to want to play the same game as them. They don't fight over things or steal things from eachother and apart from the occasional argument over whether on not a stick moved during pick up sticks there is no onflict at all.
They are so content with a few games and a little attention.
We only have one more day, Monday, before they come to the foundation on Tuesday, they are all getting excited, so I really hope that they are all allowed by their parents.

Day 12

Yesterday and today were both filled with games as always. Uri and I have also been learning some new tricks, some of the kids are teaching us to juggle. Its amazing just how co-ordinated they are and how uncordinated we are. I think it's nice for them to be able to teach us something, to laugh at us and show us their special tallents.
Today we also explained the four important rules of the foundation. This time we are spending with them before they come to the foundation is meant to be about preparing them for what to expect and making them aware that coming to our school is a commitment. The foundation has strict rules about showing up on time and not missing classes. If the students miss too many days or come late they won't be allowed to partake. They also try to teach them about good hygene practices, so we have been washing our hands everyday with soup before we give out their snack and drink. Today we make them peanut butter and jam sandwiches, which I'm sure was a first for them all.

Day 10

FYI: Some phone alarms don't make noise if they're on silent.
I slept in today because I didn't know this so I miss the first group. However, it was incredible how well behaved and relaxed the group in Alborada was. We gave the kids puzzles and games and they played happily the whole hour, it's definitely getting easier as they learn the routine.
I started along with the kids as one of the boys had his parents close by and asked Uri if she would go and talk to them with him. I presume he was scared to ask them himself for fear they would say no. But when they came and joined us later, he ran up to the others kids and said, 'I'm allowed to go to school!' with a huge smile on his face.

I'm definitely learning how lucky I am!

Day 9

We continued games as usual, but today we did puzzles. For some, this was too tedious and frustrating, they much prefered pick up sticks, others took on the challenge with glee. We had a bunch of about 5 icecream selling boys with us today, the games definatley more of a draw card than school. How many of them are serious about studying and how many just like the games I am unsure but its good to be arousing interest.
In Alborada we were cut short because the lady from Thursday began serving us hot plates of rice and chicken. It turns out they live across the road from the park so they have seen us each day working with the kids.
We had a huge group today, we were rejoined by one boy who we havent seen since day 5 and Jon, one of the ex-students has also been showing up regularly.

Day 8

Today as we were finishing up with the kids in Alborada I noticed a well dressed woman watching us. She came to me and asked if she could buy the kids some juice and biscuits. We already had some but the kids had an extra treat. As we thanked her, Carlos asked her if she was going to buy them chicken and rice. We were a bit embarrassed because it was a little rude but we laughed as it was so absurd. However, surprisingly her response was, ‘if your well behaved on Monday, I’ll buy you chicken and rice.’ We still don’t know who she is, we assume she has simply seen us working with them and this is her way of helping out.
I think a lot of people want to help but sometimes don't know how and when they see us working they are grateful. A few days ago I was given a bottle of water by a water seller. It wasn't much but it was what she could give.

Day 7

Today was definitely my most challenging day yet. Uri left me to play with the kids on my own while she went to look to see if the Bonice boys had shown up. I only had four children but it was very intimidating because we sit in a very public place and people get curious and come and watch what’s going on, we had a group of about 10 people standing around watching over us as we sat in a small circle. This usually wouldn’t particularly bother me but when everything is in Spanish its a whole different story.
It turned out that the main Bonice boy we’ve made contact with was there but he had to keep working and so Uri stayed with him and played a game while he worked. He hadn't done the drawing for homework because he didn't have a pencil at home(something I find very easy to understand). As we were leaving a lot of other workers started to arrive and some were quite interested so we decided that tomorrow we will split into two, I will work with the current group, and Uri will start another group over where they work so they can still sell. There is one boy in particular who doesn’t have parents, lives with his grandmother and works because they can’t afford school, we think we can get him off the street so he is Uri's main focus.
Similarly in zone two I was left to run the activities on my own as Uri waited for a mother who was meant to meet us and then got details from the parents about the children. I managed ok, we played pick up sticks to begin with and then I separated them into two groups who then played snakes and ladders and dominoes. Then we had a lesson on washing our hands with soap before we ate cookies. I find it daunting to have to explain games and act authoritatively to children who can speak better than me but so far it’s been ok.

Day 6

Today we got the kids to do some drawings. We divided a piece of paper into four parts and asked them to draw their family, school (most of them have been to school in the past but stopped going, usually for financial reasons), house and themselves. This activity is designed so that we can find out more information about them and also to figure out their writing and drawing level. In our second group we had 7 kids from two different families, the first with 10 children and the second with 7 so their drawing took a considerable amount of time.
We found the bonice boys just as we were leaving so we asked them to do the drawing for us tonight and to meet us tomorrow. It will be interesting to see if they come or not.
I discovered today that one of the boys is a brother of a student already at the foundation. It made a lot of sense because they are both extremely demanding and perhaps even hyperactive (I say with zero education in the matter). When we left Uri informed me that their father, who doesn’t know any other way to deal with them, belts them :(
Today went well but sadly neither of the ex-students showed up today and it wouldn’t surprise me if we don’t see them again.

Day 5

We had planned to play pick-up sticks today but we weren’t able to get the materials, so instead we went with packets of biscuits and juices. As today was the first day we didn’t manage to do much at zone one except get the details of the potential kids, give them their goodies and explain that they need to be their everyday for the next two weeks to participate if they are interested in our program.
In zone two we were met by two students who would like to return after dropping out mid last year. One boy, who I had known from 6 months earlier, greeted me with the tightest most loving hug and made me feel really valuable. He had struggled in the classroom and I helped him out whenever I could but I think part of his frustration came from his poor vision and therefore his inability to copy from the board. Anyway, he stopped showing up but no he tells me he wants to come back.
We had a group of about 10 kids, 7 potential students, two who already attend school and another with learning difficulties who we will try to recommend to another agency. We played a simple name game to get to know each other, took down their details and then gave out the treats. Sadly, and perhaps predictably, they didn’t particularly like the biscuits because they were wholemeal savoury crackers without anything on top. (At the foundation everyone eats them and enjoys them but these kids haven’t acquired a taste for something so plain, as they are used to ice-creams and soft drinks). It was funny they way they all so enthusiastically opened them only to politely take a few more bites before admitting they didn’t like them.

I had been waiting to see the women from Tuesday who we had told to meet us here and was disappointed when she didn’t show up with the children whose mother had recently died. However, as we were leaving, we saw her with three children. She was relieved to see us but confused and about to get upset when she realised we had already finished for the day. We reassured her that everything would be ok and told her the time and place for tomorrow.

Day 4

When we arrived to Alborada today only Roberto was there. He didn’t know where his siblings were because he hadn’t gone home last night, he said he had slept on the street. Uri told me that sometimes the parents of these workers expect a target, $10 for example and if they don’t reach the target, they are welcomed home for the night. I guess that this ensures that they actually work rather than playing for the day and then returning and pretending like they were unlucky. We can speculate but this could be a reason. We will keep a close eye on this family because if they are being neglected and or mistreated we will have to report them so that something can be done.

Day 3 - Initial Contact

We arrived at Peca today to find one of the Mothers from the foundation selling food. We had been hoping to see her there she knows the area well and we hoped that she could tell us about any potential students. Uri and her talked but I didn’t understand much of what she said. As we chatted we she gave us some of what she was selling, puffed corn, beans, potato, tostada (popped corn kernels, a boiled egg, an onion salad topped with peanut sauce, all in a small bag.
We spoke to a few different kids but many of them already go to school and are currently working because it is school holidays. We told them about the foundation and the activities that will start on Monday so that they can either spread the word or come if they had lied to us and don't actually go to school.

Next we headed to Alborada but I was confused when we got off the bus at a different location. I was confused as to why but then Uri explained to me that she recently had been held up on a bus in the same area and she was sure that the bus we were on was about to be held up. Two men had got on and started distributing lollies, but a number of ques drew her attention and she decided rather than take a risk we should just change buses before anything went wrong.

Roberto, Carlos and Matilde were working as usual when we arrived and were still eager to be our friends. Sadly, Matilde told us that her Dad had said 'no' when she asked if they could come to our school. He said that they need to work so that the family has money, but she is still trying to convince him by suggesting that they could go to school and work afterwards.
We also met another boy who has finished primary school but his Mum can’t afford to pay for secondary so he works instead. We suggested that he come to the foundation; repeat the final year and then the foundation can support him through the rest of his studies. His eyes lit up when he found out that the students get breakfast and lunch free every day so he said he will go home and see what his mum thinks.

Day 2

Today began in the foundation when I was waiting for Uri outside the building and a women came to me asked if I too worked there. I told her I was only a volunteer but she was desperate to be heard so began telling her story. She was hoping that we would accept two children 11 and 10, the oldest of a family of 7 whose mother recently died. She had been told that all the places were already taken. The school allocates 20 places for students who are recommended, that is, they are friends or family of other students or have heard about it and come to ask for a place. However, we also have places for children that our found working on the street during Operacion Amistad. As she told her story she began to cry, she was so desperate to help these children and the foundation was her only option. Luckily, Uri, who I admire greatly, came up with a solution. She told the women where and at what time to find us in the streets. If the children show up on Monday and participate, they will have the same chance as all the others. Thank goodness she came when she did because my Spanish was not going to get me through that situation.

At Peca we encountered much of the same as yesterday, mainly Bonice boys and a few boys who we hadn’t seen yesterday.
Before we left we made a house call to the mother of one of our students who we had heard was unwell. We walked through rocky muddy streets till we came to a three story caña house and yelled up to announce our visit. We were warmly welcomed into a room where we sat on the only chairs in the house. A brief chat was enough for me to realise she truly appreciated the help of Uri and even asked her to read her eldest sons report card as she had had difficultly reading the teachers handwriting. We said our goodbyes and not long later we headed to the second zone, Alborada.

We quickly found the same two boys washing windscreens but now they were accompanied by an older girl, obviously dealing with the money as she wore a bumbag, (fannypack). The girl from yesterday was not there, perhaps because there was an adult mine who was stealing most of the limelight. As we sat there, Uri recognised the girl. It was a much older Matilde, she had taken part in operation amistad in a previous year. We approached them and quickly discovered they were siblings, Roberto 10, Carlos 12 and Matilde now 14. Carlos, who had obviously heard about the foundation before was so excited and couldn’t wait to start. We told them we would be back to play games on Monday and asked them to bring any other children they knew that might be interested. We said our goodbyes but Carlos was so excited that when he saw us waiting for the bus he came to chat some more. As we chatted he told us they hadn’t come to the school last time because thier parents hadn’t allowed it. They are a familiy of ten!
Uri probed with questions about where they live because she fears that the father may change their location so that they can’t participate. If this happened she wants to try to make contact. I really hope to see them tomorrow because they are really sweet kids and want desperately to come to the foundation.

Day 1 - Observing

We arrived at the foundation bright and early ready to begin. I will be helping out Uri and Julia and Geo, two other volunteers will be with Jazmin. We were assigned two locations in the North, the others will go to two zones in the south. Our first location was under a bridge outside the Parque California, also known as Peca, here you will find all types of street vendors, including the children we are in search of.
When we arrived Uri pointed out the municipal police and said that our chances of finding kids may be reduced because they tend to scatter when the police are there for fear of harassment. So, we crossed the road and began looking when we spotted a sweet little boy, definitely new to selling, lacking the confidence of an experienced worker, he only looked about 8 years old. We bough water from him and asked if he goes to school, he shyly answered yes. We noted his appearance and the time and place we saw him and when he left we discussed our disbelief that he goes to school.
Today and tomorrow our aim is simply to observe and note what children are around, when and with whom. Throughout the day we spotted four or five BonIce boys (BonIce is a brand of ice cream, they can be found at all the main intersections) as young as twelve and some older boys selling water. We also saw a few kids working as the bus assistants but they were two hard to note as they come and go.
Next we headed to a large intersection where we grabbed an almuerzo (Lunch generally around $1.50 and include soup, a main and a juice). In previous years this had been a well known hang out for street kids but today we didn’t encounter any. Instead we headed to Alberada, to another main intersection. Here we found two jugglers, around 12 years old and three windscreen cleaners. The first girl we saw all day was one of the windscreen cleaners. The other kids were all friends but she was working alone. As we sat and observed from the side of the road we discovered that the women sitting next to us, a women around 25 years old was her mother. After the young girl made money she would take it over to her mother who sat watching, adding soap to the water bottles that she used for cleaning. Uri told me she is very aware that this happens and that sometimes parents hide around corners and collect the money but said she had never seen someone act with so little discretion.
Tonight I cancelled my flight to Caracas, I lost quite a bit of money but decided that I really wanted to take part in Operation Amistad and so whilst everyone else is in Argentina, Galapagos, Columbia or the Jungle, I’ll be in good old Guayaquil. But I know I won’t regret my decision.

Fundación Crecer - Introduction

I have been volunteering at Fundación Crecer on and off since the beginning of July 2009. It is a school for children found working on the streets, selling candies, washing windscreens, juggling at traffic lights etc. By offering essentially free schooling with a free breakfast and lunch each day, the parents of the children can be persuaded to allow the children to study rather than work. Some of the parents want their children to go to school but simply can't afford it, while others enjoy the economic benifits of having working children. However, ultimately the organisation works to prevent the children from working and provide them instead with a safe and loving environment to learn and grow, as the name 'Crecer' suggests.

When I arrived here in Ecuador and at the Foundation I barely spoke a word of Spanish. I found it difficult to be of use in a place where I could barely communicate, let alone run an activity or teach a class, however, the kids didn't seem to mind, they fought for and enjoyed the affection and attention that I could give them.

Some time past and two other volunteers and I decided we were ready to teach english and dance classes. Two mornings a week we taught our own small english classes, and
had an hour a week with two of the classes to teach our version of Michael Jackson dances. (The kids were obsessed with Michael Jackson, along with the rest of Ecuador after he died.)

It came time for the Christmas concert and allthough we feared it wouldn't happen, the show was fantastic and most of all the were so proud to show their dance skills to who ever showed up to see them. This day was very special for us because although at times it had been extremely frustrating, we understood what it was all about.

This is a link to Thriller, performed by the younger of the two groups.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXnXpgbcYqQ
This is a link to Beat it, performed by the older group.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RR2mL1IzHA

The last months have been a mix of time off school and relaxed activities at the school before starting the new school year in April but before they do that, the month of March is the time for Operacion Amistad of which this blog will recount each day.