Despedida y Entrada

We arrived. The first week at the orphanage is full of introductions, giving us time to learn about the way the orphanage functions, to get to know the other new volunteers and to get used to the orphanage rhythm (getting up at 6.00! the children get up at 5.00 already..). So many impressions that I have difficulty gathering my thoughts. We have been overwhelmed with information from the old volunteers, mostly negative criticism on the communication at the orphanage. It is a real challenge to remain neutral in all the issues that are there and to try to understand the orphanage in the context of this country, which is still recovering from a long civil war. We just learned that Parramos (where the orphanage is) especially suffered during the civil war and the orphanage was founded in the same year as the peace accord was written. In comparison to what is available to children who lost their parents (sometimes only mother) and who have been removed from their houses because of child protection issues, the orphanage is a real haven, where the children and workers are seen as one big family, where there is therapy available to them and where there are special programs for children with special needs. But from what we understand from the old volunteers, therapy is not widely accepted by the Guatemalan workers (especially teachers), the children do not get much preparation for what to do after they received their high school diploma and are supposed to leave the orphanage, and e.g. AIDS is a great taboo. The orphanage has received money from an AIDS organization here to provide therapy to the children who are infected (which is what I am supposed to do), but the orphanage does not want the children to know that they have AIDS. Resulting in a possibly greater trauma later in their life, and perhaps more importantly for the health of all children at the orphanage, no education on how to handle their blood when they e.g. have a nose bleed (which happens frequently). Interesting issues and I hope I will have more success in getting AIDS and sexual education more accepted. From this last week, it is already very clear that the only way we are going to feel successful here is to view ourselves in the bigger perspective of volunteers coming and going, who each bring up the same issues and might be able to change some things in the very end.

In any case, both me and Tobias are very eager to start working. The amount of work that still needs to be done is overwhelming, but at the same provides a great challenge. The therapist who was here before me already did a lot of work in raising money to get some toys, art materials, and dress up clothes for the therapy, but the room definitely needs a lot more to give the children the sense of a safe place where they can calm down and feel comfortable to process some of their experiences. I wish I had one of Katrin´s Snoezelraums here! Also, we need financial support to give the children the chance to leave the orphanage every once in a while for outings. If any of you are interested in supporting our work at NPH, that would mean a great deal to us. I will be sending an email with more information and account information around shortly.