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Friday: Smile Power visited a family in a shelter (unfortunately with other people sheltering there too)...
The family of 7 is afflicted with TB...their village is full of people with TB. This family has at least 4 sick with it, but the father is the one in for treatment. His treatment will last 6-12 months, and they have nothing.
They need (for the sake of the other people in the shelter) to move into a quarantined area...there are none. They need clothing, diapers for the babies, and blankets as winter is approaching.
Some of the treatment is free, but not all of it...
Those of us here will pool our money and get them some of the things they need to keep going, but I don't know what they will do about housing. That appears to be beyond what we have with us...
We also visited the nearby burn center that Smile Power has been helping where possible...medications, tables, treatment rooms, etc... It purely breaks your heart to see the burned children...they have no idea why they are there or why they are in so much pain...
Some of the blankets Smile Power supporters...You...donated help brighten the bleak rooms, and there are a few toys for the ambulatory kids, but...I wish I had brought some Silvadine medicine...or...
We also visited Madre...a center for abused and street girls...there is also a day care facility there. This place is such a blessing to these girls! I always wish I could do more, but the kids here are happy and well cared for. I will talk with Fr Theo tonight about an exciting new plan for empowering women here…
The dental clinic Smile Power has supported continues to help people here get oral health care and education…they are very busy!
Smile Power Saturday:
Arani is an orphanage in the boonies...but many children come here from Solomon Klein in the Amanacer program in Cochabamba.
We taught tooth brushing, gave them new tooth brushes, and gave them some new treasures...booklets made by Cascade Ridge K-Kids' Club, Beaver Lake Middle School’s Spanish students and Discovery Elementary. The kids couldn't put the booklets down and kept hugging them!
We read the words to as many of the kids as possible, and many of the kids wanted to pose with the artwork done by their new friends! :-)
The children here are learning English, so they sang and danced for us (sort of...it was cute) in their new language...
Tonight we are having a birthday party for Alfonso, and Abigail (Anita Paz' daughter). I'll add all your love and best wishes to the songs and laughter of the evening!
Hi Everyone!
We spent today playing with 1-2 year olds and holding babies at Salomon Klein!
When we first arrived in Sala 2, we were the only adults...the only Mama with the twenty-seven 1-2 year olds was busy getting the kids all cleaned up! It was really cute...we sat on the floor and were hugged, sat upon, and loved-up by the little ones...and every once in a while another toddler popped through the door into the room with us...all brightly shining and squeaky clean!
A physical therapy student came in and worked with some of the children, and after the last child was clean, the Mama joined us for a few minutes...then it was clean-up for snack time! She got out the toy box and told the kids to put away the toys (I think...) and they all joined in, picked up the toys, and lined up along the wall to get the small snack! ...can you imagine? She only made that one announcement!
Then we went to hold the babies! They have added a new room of wall-to-wall cribs, recently! Up to 10 new children are brought to this over-crowded facility...each day! The economy is so bad here that parents cannot feed their children...imagine the pain...
The babies don't really cry here...they know better! The few Mamas that work these rooms cannot pick up crying infants. They are fed, changed, moved around, and loved as much as possible, but...instead of crying, the babies hold their arms up...and smile hopefully!
I'm trying to remember how many infants were in this one room with 2 Mamas...I think it was close to 30! There was also a student physical therapist working in here with one of the blind babies... No one knows how old he is, but he has no motor capabilities--even though he has a mouth full of teeth.
There were a bunch of bumper-car type chairs to put the older ones in (6-9 months?) ...each with a toy to start with, although many got dropped quickly! It's amazing how early kids learn to con each other out of toys!
Several people made donations to the milk and formula fund, but that $2000 will only buy supplies from 2 to 4 weeks!
They badly need an exhaust fan in Sala 2, and they are out of tooth brushes. We have asked the Eduardo, the handy-man, to see how much it would cost to buy and install one. If we have enough money, we’ll have that done and buy some more tooth brushes. I think we need about 50 more to reach the 170+ babies there now…but this is only a stop-gap measure…they need to have new ones every three months or so…
Tomorrow we go with Fr Theo to see some of his ‘families’…
Love, Judy
Hi again,
Father Theo is uniquely involved here in Cochabamba. He helps street kids get off drugs and become productive citizens...among other things. He works within the Amanacer program and outside of its constraints. Amanacer will only accept people who are currently drug-free. Fr Theo accepts those who wish to become drug-free.
We spent two days traveling around with Fr Theo...visiting his families. Some are struggling...some are successful.
Casa Jerusalem is the house where Fr Theo helps young men become capable of holding jobs. This time the major focus was on Alberto, who is making silk-screen T-Shirts from Jenny Goeres' awesome paintings! He took a class and is successfully selling his product! He showed us how he does it and I took pictures of the process...I think I'll have some printed up for his 'shop'. I bought some to show you...
Fernando had just had a grand-mal seizure and wasn't feeling at all well, but we bought some of his hand-made paper...it's beautiful!
Then we went to visit Angel and Rodo and their families. They have come so far since I first met them! They were fresh off the street, but wanted to get on their own feet... They made and sold friendship bracelets and have become more creative with them and more divirsified in their artistic ventures: amazing paintings, luxurious wall-hangings, and awesome cards are among their efforts at survival! Their wives also sew clothing and make back-packs! They also have recently planted a garden and plan to dry and sell their produce. These people are hard-working and now have a little spot on the street where they can sell their merchandise! This family is a success story! It is very exciting to watch!
We delivered tooth brushes, Reading Books, T-Shirts from Echo Glen kids, and Friendship Booklets from Discovery kids...the children loved them!
The kids here just love to get things made by new friends...especially if it has a picture of their new friend!It is awesome to see how they are affected by a small act of kindness...
It was an awesome day!
Love, Judy
Dia Des Juan Carloses
The following day we visited Puntiti...a home/school for really special needs people! It is a very loving environment and the people are gotten out of bed, bathed, dressed, teeth and hair brushed, exercised, and played with and fed...every day! ...even though there is not enough help... They would dearly love to have disposable diapers! They change 48 medium sized and 60 large diapers at least 4 times per day! They do have cloth diapers, but keeping up with the laundry is a challenge on the best of days!
Smile Power donated a bunch of tooth brushes to the facility...
The associated school is awesome! Only about 10 kids from the home currently attend here, but children from the surrounding area are welcome here too! When we arrived, the children were happily creating the best Father's Day card they were capable of...and being congratulated for it!
Smile Power donated Books, Sun Catcher Necklaces, Friendship Cards, and a really cool parachute to this school...the kids were happily darting under the floating chute when we left...sorry teachers! The children loved all their gifts and were so happy to have new friends in the United States!
We then visited Juan Carlos 1's home...there are a bakery and a carpentery shop tucked in this small space! All these kids are being encouraged by Fr Theo! We are looking into having the carpentry shop build the tables and chairs Anna needs for the library at the Buena Vista school...these capenters have built things for many of the Smile Power projects: partitions, tables, and chairs for the Burn Center; play ground equipment for several schools (including Puntiti where they also constructed a trampoline using old tires!), and cupboards for one of the homes... They do a great job for a reasonable price!
Juan Carlos 3 is a dentist. Fr Theo put him through school, and he has just graduated! We visited the office where he is working...really small, but very nice. They had the coolest tool...InterOral something! You put it in the mouth and could see the teeth really well on a TV screen! Dra. Grisel Zapata seemed very interested in connecting with the Smile Power dentists coming from the United States...
When Juan Carlos 3 finished work, we went to his home. They have a small grocery and Internet place! Smile Power gave their daughter a Friendship Card and she loved it! They fed us a delicious traditional dinner and entertained us with photos from Juan Carlos 3's graduation and promotion...
I think we got back to the hotel...exhausted and full...by about 10pm! It was a great day!
Yesterday, we went to Arca de Jesus, an orphanage beautifully run by a lady from Norway.
The kids here are healthy and happy! Smile Power donated books from ??? and Friendship Booklets from Beaver Lake Middle School. The kids absolutely loved them!
We were here for an hour or so after handing out the booklets, and even by the end I was taking photos of kids pouring over the loving booklets from their new friends!
The books from the school an important addition to the miniscule library there. They have two cupboards...one the kids can read any time they choose and one from which they must check out the books. This helps keep the books nice longer!
Most of the books in both cupboards are donations from kids in schools from our area over the several years we have visited here! :-)
You can all be very proud! You have made an important improvement in the lives of so many people here!
Night Shelter
We went to San Martine, a home for boys 12-15, to check on the cows and calves Smile Power helped donate last year. They are beautiful! And the boys are so proud of the work they have done and all they have learned! It was very exciting!
Their band played songs for us...they are quite good, and Fr Theo is trying to get CDs made up to sell. The proceeds will go to provide instrumental and voice lessons for the children. And the CD holders will be a project including Fernand's hand-made paper and Angel's art work...they are really great!
We then visited a relatively new Night Shelter where kids can come off the streets and have a safe place to stay. They must give up their drug of choice at the door (with the understanding that it will be returned in the morning), participate in some really interesting programs, and respect the few rules set out clearly. There were 11 children here at the time we visited...
Smile Power donated books and Friendship Booklets from Discovery Elementary, toothbrushes, and floss. We are also donating money and oral health educational materials.
We got lots and lots of hugs and kisses that we send along to you!
This is a first-step place to get the kids off the street and off drugs...and hopefully they will have a chance at life...
We were all in tears by the time we left...
Today I'm taking Alfonso along with Silvia and Jhomara (two girls Smile Power volunteers have helped go to school) and their little brothers to the movies or bowling or whatever Alfonso chooses... These three have volunteered for several years, helping translate and distribute outreach gifts!
Love,
Judy
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