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.
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