is my name here, haha. "Bridget" is too difficult for Guatemalans to pronounce, which doesn't bother me at all; for awhile, I was introducing myself as "Brigida", but then someone said that was too long and they liked saying "Bridgie" better. So, Bridgie it is. (It was funny because before they said that, my roomate and all of the tios, who are caregivers, in my section had already started calling me Bridgie.) I like it.
Funny story: Yesterday I was working on the computer in my office. All of a sudden, I looked up and saw a HUGE BLACK THING flying around. (My un-screened windows were wide open because it was warm in there.) I ran out of my office into the adjoining library, screaming (in English): “I THINK THERE’S A BAT OR A BUTTERFLY IN MY OFFICE!!” (Of course there was a group of kids watching a movie with their teacher in the library.)
Luckily, my volunteer friends Katie and Jess (Katie is the librarian, Jess is my roommate here) were there and they came to investigate. “Bridget, it’s a butterfly,” they said; but it was the size of a bat, and they at first thought it was a bat too.
When I left my office yesterday, it was still in there; hopefully it flies out sometime over the weekend.
On another note, I’m starting to realize that the work here is not only about my job. Obviously, my job is important – but being with the kids from my section is so rewarding too. They’re always so happy when I come!
I can’t remember if I mentioned that their caregivers are not educated/trained to take care of kids with special needs. (They aren’t.) This is difficult for me to see. (My friend Cassie, the Special Ed coordinator, is trying to get someone to come train the caregivers.) For instance, the first day that I went to my section, I was the only person trying to interact with the kids. (It isn’t always like this, but sometimes it is.)
And on the weekends, they only have 2 caregivers with this section – some high schoolers come to volunteer so that the caregivers have a break. But of course the high schoolers know even less about caring for these kids. So, today when I ate lunch with them, one of the boys needed help eating – and no one was helping him! (He has epilepsy and is in a wheelchair; it’s difficult for him to eat because of decreased mobility in his hands and problems with his mouth.) I was happy to help him, but it is hard to see that his caregivers were not.
But, I still love going to my section. The kids are SO adorable and I love to work with them!
Tomorrow we have something called Kermes (I don’t know why it’s called that). It’s a few hours of games that the volunteers put together for the kids. It should be really fun! The theme is Water because it’s the rainy season (it rains every day here), and I’m in charge of the sponge bucket game with 2 other volunteers. Yay!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Chilero
... that means "cool" here. Instead of "que chevere" like they say in Ecuador, they say "Que chilero" here in Guate. I am constantly making comparisons in head between Eacudor and Guate (Ecuador and a little of Mexico are the only things I have to compare Guatemala to). So far, Guatemalans in general seem to me more conservative and less enthusiastic than Ecuadorians (who are generally more animated and add "-ito" to the end of most words). I'm thinking that this is likely because Guatemalans just ended a brutal civil war in 1996 that lasted for 36+ years.
I started speech therapy and have 15 kids total right now. I am going to add the 15th kid next week. It will take awhile to get into the flow and figure out the best intervention techniques for each child, but it is going pretty well so far! I have some of the kids with special needs, 3 preschoolers, and two school-aged kids.
Last week, I had a difficult day with one of the kids, who I will call JC to protect his identity. I had met him several times and talked with him because he is one of the kids with special needs (in my section). Because we knew each other, I thought it would be fine to take him to speech. I was aware that he bites people's arms, pinches, and pulls hair - but for some reason, I thought I would be able to handle it fine. (He has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and is very hyperactive, so he is often unable to control his behavior.) I did work with a boy at Wells Elementary (when I was a teacher's aid) who hit me and sometimes tried to bite, but he was in kindergarten - so he was small and easier to control. JC is 13, and although he is very small for his age, he is STRONG!
So, JC and I started the long walk from his house to my office. It went well until we got about halfway there. Of course, he started to pinch me and bite (whenever he bites he never breaks the skin, luckily) and pull my hair, and wouldn't stop. I didn't want to give up right away; I thought maybe once we got to my office he would calm down, but not at all. We got to the back door of the library (my office is next to the library, which I have to enter in order to get there) and as I was unlocking the door, JC ran away into the storage room next door. He was running around and jumped in a pile of candy - then he started eating the candy with the wrappers on it. I pulled him out and got him into the library, where he jumped on some random girl sitting in there. Then, when we finally got into my office, he started to eat my sticky notes. (At that point, I had to hold in my laughter. Which I did successfully.) I could finally see that we wouldn't be able to accomplish anything, so we began the long walk back.
Luckily, I talked to the woman in charge, Vilma, back at his house. She showed me how to hold his hands so that he doesn't pinch or bite, and just to say "No" very forecfully (I had been saying no already, but not holding him in the correct position). Then yesterday he came again, this time with his tia (caregiver). Things went much better - we actually accomplished tasks!
This tia, Veronica, is really nice. I was also really encouraged because I talked to her tonight for awhile. She's really nice and told me she wants to come with some more of the kids with special needs to speech therapy with me! She said she wants to watch what I do so that she can try and do it with the kids. This was encouraging because a lot of the time, the tios in that house (for the kids with special needs) sit around and do nothing with the kids; the tios just don't have the education to know what to do with these kids. I thought they just didn't care; but she said she really does want to work with them, she just doesn't know what to do. So I was VERY happy!
Today was a REALLY good day. I was so proud of myself today. One of my kids, "Jose", didn't want to go to speech therapy. I was surprised because last week he was really excited to come to speech last week and worked really well! But today I went to get him from his class, and after we walked a few feet he started running away from me! So of course, I ran after him looking silly (and trying not to laugh because I also found it funny). But, I did a good job. I didn't laugh and kept my serious face and said "NO".
And then I finally got him up to the library (which is right next to my office), and he kept running around and didn't want to go in. So, I finally got a brilliant idea. "Ok, I'll just take you back to my class right now if you don't want to talk today," I said. Sure enough, "NO! QUIERO HABLAR!" (I want to talk) immediately.
Haha. I was so happy. Had a few other kids today and that went well. Cassie and I also went to the choir and sang with the kids! Yay! Then, some of the kids did dances in the dining room to say goodbye (they call it a despedida) to some volunteers who are here from Canada. The kids in my section (Los Especiales) did a cute little dance and I took some pictures. then I went back with them to their house to eat dinner and read them some stories. They are SO CUTE! I love them already; we're bonding and it's really good.
And, I even got a package from my mom. Yay!
This past weekend, my friends Cassie, Samantha, and I took a bus to the town of San Marcos on Lake Atitlan, which is about 2.5 hours from here. San Marcos is called a "magical place" with a spiritual feeling. There are a lot of hippies there, which I love. And it is BEAUTIFUL. The lake is huge and surrounded by mountains. The weather there is hot and humid, so we went swimming in the lake. Being there felt so surreal because of the beauty! The hostel we stayed at was amazing. It was surrounded by greenery and hummingbirds and butterflies. We just went for one night and it was SO relaxing. Samantha has a friend who works at a restaurant there, so we ate really good food.
And that is about it! I really miss you all and think of everyone often. Please e-mail me and update me about your lives! I'm going to post some pictures once I get to the internet cafe this weekend. The connection here at the home is too slow.
I started speech therapy and have 15 kids total right now. I am going to add the 15th kid next week. It will take awhile to get into the flow and figure out the best intervention techniques for each child, but it is going pretty well so far! I have some of the kids with special needs, 3 preschoolers, and two school-aged kids.
Last week, I had a difficult day with one of the kids, who I will call JC to protect his identity. I had met him several times and talked with him because he is one of the kids with special needs (in my section). Because we knew each other, I thought it would be fine to take him to speech. I was aware that he bites people's arms, pinches, and pulls hair - but for some reason, I thought I would be able to handle it fine. (He has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and is very hyperactive, so he is often unable to control his behavior.) I did work with a boy at Wells Elementary (when I was a teacher's aid) who hit me and sometimes tried to bite, but he was in kindergarten - so he was small and easier to control. JC is 13, and although he is very small for his age, he is STRONG!
So, JC and I started the long walk from his house to my office. It went well until we got about halfway there. Of course, he started to pinch me and bite (whenever he bites he never breaks the skin, luckily) and pull my hair, and wouldn't stop. I didn't want to give up right away; I thought maybe once we got to my office he would calm down, but not at all. We got to the back door of the library (my office is next to the library, which I have to enter in order to get there) and as I was unlocking the door, JC ran away into the storage room next door. He was running around and jumped in a pile of candy - then he started eating the candy with the wrappers on it. I pulled him out and got him into the library, where he jumped on some random girl sitting in there. Then, when we finally got into my office, he started to eat my sticky notes. (At that point, I had to hold in my laughter. Which I did successfully.) I could finally see that we wouldn't be able to accomplish anything, so we began the long walk back.
Luckily, I talked to the woman in charge, Vilma, back at his house. She showed me how to hold his hands so that he doesn't pinch or bite, and just to say "No" very forecfully (I had been saying no already, but not holding him in the correct position). Then yesterday he came again, this time with his tia (caregiver). Things went much better - we actually accomplished tasks!
This tia, Veronica, is really nice. I was also really encouraged because I talked to her tonight for awhile. She's really nice and told me she wants to come with some more of the kids with special needs to speech therapy with me! She said she wants to watch what I do so that she can try and do it with the kids. This was encouraging because a lot of the time, the tios in that house (for the kids with special needs) sit around and do nothing with the kids; the tios just don't have the education to know what to do with these kids. I thought they just didn't care; but she said she really does want to work with them, she just doesn't know what to do. So I was VERY happy!
Today was a REALLY good day. I was so proud of myself today. One of my kids, "Jose", didn't want to go to speech therapy. I was surprised because last week he was really excited to come to speech last week and worked really well! But today I went to get him from his class, and after we walked a few feet he started running away from me! So of course, I ran after him looking silly (and trying not to laugh because I also found it funny). But, I did a good job. I didn't laugh and kept my serious face and said "NO".
And then I finally got him up to the library (which is right next to my office), and he kept running around and didn't want to go in. So, I finally got a brilliant idea. "Ok, I'll just take you back to my class right now if you don't want to talk today," I said. Sure enough, "NO! QUIERO HABLAR!" (I want to talk) immediately.
Haha. I was so happy. Had a few other kids today and that went well. Cassie and I also went to the choir and sang with the kids! Yay! Then, some of the kids did dances in the dining room to say goodbye (they call it a despedida) to some volunteers who are here from Canada. The kids in my section (Los Especiales) did a cute little dance and I took some pictures. then I went back with them to their house to eat dinner and read them some stories. They are SO CUTE! I love them already; we're bonding and it's really good.
And, I even got a package from my mom. Yay!
This past weekend, my friends Cassie, Samantha, and I took a bus to the town of San Marcos on Lake Atitlan, which is about 2.5 hours from here. San Marcos is called a "magical place" with a spiritual feeling. There are a lot of hippies there, which I love. And it is BEAUTIFUL. The lake is huge and surrounded by mountains. The weather there is hot and humid, so we went swimming in the lake. Being there felt so surreal because of the beauty! The hostel we stayed at was amazing. It was surrounded by greenery and hummingbirds and butterflies. We just went for one night and it was SO relaxing. Samantha has a friend who works at a restaurant there, so we ate really good food.
And that is about it! I really miss you all and think of everyone often. Please e-mail me and update me about your lives! I'm going to post some pictures once I get to the internet cafe this weekend. The connection here at the home is too slow.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
I´ve already been here for 2 weeks ...
and that is a strange, strange feeling! It has been easier to adjust to living here because of the great support they have for volunteers, and the feeling of community. I really like my roomates, and I´ve made good friends with another volunteer, Cassie. She actually taught me my first song on the guitar yesterday! (The Way I am by Ingrid Michaelson). To learn guitar was on my Bucket List, so I am so happy to be finally doing that!
Yesterday, Cassie and I went on a 2 hour hike in the mountains. It was beautiful! I took a lot of pictures so I´ll try to put them up soon. We walked through a very,very small indigenous village. The Mayan clothing is beautiful and fascinating!
She and I are also going to join the children´s choir-band here at the orphanage. they meet twice a week. I can´t wait! I miss singing a lot, so ít´ll be great to get back into that.
I really miss you all! But, the lo bueno es que I'm bonding with some of the other volunteers. And the kids! They´re all so adorable, especially the kids in the section I´m mentoring - the kids with special needs.
Wed: We had a get together for the tios (caregivers who live here with the kids; they're all Guatemalan) and the volunteers at this restaurant/bar (we were the only people in there, but there were about 30 of us at least in there). And the volunteers were there first, so about 10 of us were standing there at the bar ... when at least 20 of the tios walked in. It was really funny b/c the people who worked there moved all the tables in a line on the wall so that the room was open for dancing. At first it was awkward because we were all just sitting there, but then they put on music and all the tios started dancing ... it was so much fun! We watched them for awhile, and then this girl Corina and I started dancing with some of them. She and I danced all night! It was so much fun. We want to find some salsa classes here too.
And, I had a really good idea yesterday: To start a Best Buddies club here at NPH - to pair up the kids with Special Needs with another kid! So Cassie and I are going to try to start that as a club. After awhile though - maybe after about a month. We need to adjust to our work schedules. And we have to spend 4 hours a week with the kids we mentor (I mentor the kids with Special Needs). So, we need to get used to everything.
Last Mon-Wed I read through 32 files of kids. Then Thursday I met with my boss, Veronica, who is aweomse. We decided on 13 kids that I'm going to start with (and I'll slowly add kids throughout the year, but not up to 32). Luckily, half of those 12 kids I've already met because they're the kids with Special Needs that I've been mentoring. This afternoon, I went to meet one of the preschoolers. He's ADORABLE! Tomorrow, I'm going to meet the other kids and set up a schedule. And then I start therapy on Monday! I have never felt so grown up in my life. Working as a teacher's aid was definitely a real job, but I was in limbo b/c I still lived as a college student. Also, the great thing about being a teacher's aid is that I didn't have to plan anything.
Speech pathologists have to plan a lot. But I am really excited. It's going to be awesome!!!!!!
Did I mention I really, really miss all of you? Because I do.
Yesterday, Cassie and I went on a 2 hour hike in the mountains. It was beautiful! I took a lot of pictures so I´ll try to put them up soon. We walked through a very,very small indigenous village. The Mayan clothing is beautiful and fascinating!
She and I are also going to join the children´s choir-band here at the orphanage. they meet twice a week. I can´t wait! I miss singing a lot, so ít´ll be great to get back into that.
I really miss you all! But, the lo bueno es que I'm bonding with some of the other volunteers. And the kids! They´re all so adorable, especially the kids in the section I´m mentoring - the kids with special needs.
Wed: We had a get together for the tios (caregivers who live here with the kids; they're all Guatemalan) and the volunteers at this restaurant/bar (we were the only people in there, but there were about 30 of us at least in there). And the volunteers were there first, so about 10 of us were standing there at the bar ... when at least 20 of the tios walked in. It was really funny b/c the people who worked there moved all the tables in a line on the wall so that the room was open for dancing. At first it was awkward because we were all just sitting there, but then they put on music and all the tios started dancing ... it was so much fun! We watched them for awhile, and then this girl Corina and I started dancing with some of them. She and I danced all night! It was so much fun. We want to find some salsa classes here too.
And, I had a really good idea yesterday: To start a Best Buddies club here at NPH - to pair up the kids with Special Needs with another kid! So Cassie and I are going to try to start that as a club. After awhile though - maybe after about a month. We need to adjust to our work schedules. And we have to spend 4 hours a week with the kids we mentor (I mentor the kids with Special Needs). So, we need to get used to everything.
Last Mon-Wed I read through 32 files of kids. Then Thursday I met with my boss, Veronica, who is aweomse. We decided on 13 kids that I'm going to start with (and I'll slowly add kids throughout the year, but not up to 32). Luckily, half of those 12 kids I've already met because they're the kids with Special Needs that I've been mentoring. This afternoon, I went to meet one of the preschoolers. He's ADORABLE! Tomorrow, I'm going to meet the other kids and set up a schedule. And then I start therapy on Monday! I have never felt so grown up in my life. Working as a teacher's aid was definitely a real job, but I was in limbo b/c I still lived as a college student. Also, the great thing about being a teacher's aid is that I didn't have to plan anything.
Speech pathologists have to plan a lot. But I am really excited. It's going to be awesome!!!!!!
Did I mention I really, really miss all of you? Because I do.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Day 6 already
Yesterday was our last day of orientation ... YAY!!!!!
We also went to the nearby Antigua, which was a really cool town. It used to be the capitol, and is very colonial with cobblestone roads. THe market is really cool, and the churches are awesome. It reminds me of Cuenca, Ecuador.
We also ate at a really good restaurant. Then I got a bad headache and had to go home to sleep. my body is still adjusting to the altitude I think.
We also got to choose our sections of kids to mentor yesterday. I chose the special ed kids! I got to spend the afternoon with them today, and bonded with some of them. They're really cute. I'll be spending 4 hours a week with them.
Also, side note: We can drink purified water out of the tap here. They have a huge purifier. And, I thought the only food available would be rice and beans, but the cook actually makes other things too - platanos (plantains), chicken, potatoes, salsa, etc. The food has been buenisimo!
I miss all of you. I got a phone so let me know if you want to call, and I'll give you the number.
My address here is:
Bridget McLaughlin
Apdo. Postal 4
Chimaltenango, Guatemala
Centroamerica
We also went to the nearby Antigua, which was a really cool town. It used to be the capitol, and is very colonial with cobblestone roads. THe market is really cool, and the churches are awesome. It reminds me of Cuenca, Ecuador.
We also ate at a really good restaurant. Then I got a bad headache and had to go home to sleep. my body is still adjusting to the altitude I think.
We also got to choose our sections of kids to mentor yesterday. I chose the special ed kids! I got to spend the afternoon with them today, and bonded with some of them. They're really cute. I'll be spending 4 hours a week with them.
Also, side note: We can drink purified water out of the tap here. They have a huge purifier. And, I thought the only food available would be rice and beans, but the cook actually makes other things too - platanos (plantains), chicken, potatoes, salsa, etc. The food has been buenisimo!
I miss all of you. I got a phone so let me know if you want to call, and I'll give you the number.
My address here is:
Bridget McLaughlin
Apdo. Postal 4
Chimaltenango, Guatemala
Centroamerica
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Sunday - Thursday
Hey everyone,
I miss you all, but I love Guatemala so far! It is a beautiful country. We live right in a valley, so right outside my house is a view of gorgeous mountains. My house (casa 7) is at the bottom of a hill at the orphanage, so we have a cool view. The hill goes down further, there's a fence, and on the other side of the fence are some Guatemalan homes (in the community). They're really fascinating - different colors, which I think are glorious (Pam). But, I have never seen this much poverty. Guatemala is more poor than Ecuador or Mexico.
And, I have seen some of the traditional Mayan clothing, which is also amazing. THe colors are beautiful!
The Guatemalan people are very friendly and are always so welcoming; they're always smiling and kind. They also hug a lot, so I think I'll fit in pretty well here :).
Before I forget, the organization is called Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (Friends of the Orphans): www.nph.org.
Also, here are some videos you can watch about the organization if you want: www.youtube.com/group/nph
So, here is what has happened since I left the U.S.:
Sunday: Got up at 3:30 AM and flew from Chicago to Ft. Lauderdale to Guatemala City. The whole thing went very smoothly, no lost luggage, made the weight limits. I met up with another volunteer, Jess, in Ft. Lauderdale and we had the same flight to Guatemala City, which was really nice. We got to talk for awhile and fly together. She is from Long Island and seems really cool. It's funny, because we coincidentally had the same plane flight and then were assigned to be roomates here!
They picked us up right at the airport and we went to NPH (the orphanage). Then we took a nap and went out to dinner with all the volunteers, old and new. There are 23 total, and 11 of us are new.
Monday: The 11 of us who are new started orientation. Everyone is really cool! We're still getting to know each other, but I like everyone so far. There are 8 of us from the U.S. and 2 from Germany. Only 2 are guys, the rest girls. I'm living with 6 other volunteers, and our house is really nice. It's kind of like a bungalow, I guess; I'll post some pictures eventually.
I don't even remember what we did on Monday because we have been in orientation all week and it's overwhelming; we've been talked at for hours straight in Spanish, toured the entire orphanage, and met everyone who works here - all in a week. But it is very positive! I'm incredibly impressed at how the orphanage is run. There are 333 children who currently live here, and 100 more come for just the day to attend the school (there is a school at the orphanage). In addition to a school, there is a medical clinic (with a dentist and a farmacy) which is attached the the building for kids with special needs (where I will be working a lot!:), offices, library, farm with pigs, bakery, kitchen, dining room, metal smith shop, carpentry, beauty salon, the kid's homes, and the volunteers homes. It is pretty big, but I don't remember how much acreage.
NPH is self-sufficient - they build/make/cook nearly everything that they need, which is amazing. The kids have an hour of work after school every day; they usually choose where they want to work and can learn a trade.
They also have a lot of cool programs - an orchestra, sports teams, leadership clubs, etc.; I'm so impressed!
(Well, I guess I'm off track from telling what has happened every day, so forget that.)
But yesterday I met my boss, and today we got to talk for awhile. She seems amazing! Her name is Veronica and she is actually a speech pathologist as well, outside of the NPH home. (She doesn't have time to do the position here because she's the director of the psychology department.)
She said that I will start my job slowly next week, which is good. I'm going to observe the art therapist (we met with her yesterday, she's great!), meet with the preschool teacher, special ed coordinator, etc. and decide which kids will need speech/language intervention, and possibly start evaluating some of the kids. (They haven't had a speech pathologist for 6 months, so I'm glad I came! They're all excited that I'm here.)
There is also a boy who is deaf and mute, so they may send me to Antigua (a nearby town) to take Spanish sign language classes! I really hope that this happens. I met him coincidentally tonight at dinner, and I was able to introduce myself to him in American Sign Language; but this is different from Spanish sign language. He seems really cute.
I also met some of the kids with Special needs and preschoolers that I'll be working with - they're adorable! I can't wait. We've also gotten to meet other kids just in the dining hall, and they're all adorable.
Another thing I'm really impressed about is how many services they have for children with Special Needs here. The program is only about 1.5 years old, and they already have 1 school class for kids with Special Needs, 1 class for kids with learning disabilities, an occupational therapist, an art therapist, speech pathologist, and right now they need a physical therapist. They also have 2 social workers and good services for kids with psychological/conduct problems (which many of them have because most are orphans or come from homes where they were neglected/abused/etc.)
One more thing I'm excited about - my office!! It's really nice, which I wasn't expecting. I have a desk, chair, full length mirror (the kids can use it to look at their mouth/oral cavity when trying to produce sounds), a bed, a SWING, and a bookshelf full of books. Plus I have several donations of speech pathology materials that I brought from home.
One more responsibility that the volunteers have outside of our jobs is to mentor a section of children (section = group of children who live together). We're supposed to choose tomorrow, so I'm hoping to get either the preschoolers or the children with Special Needs. We meet with our section 2-3 nights per week, and get to know them pretty well. Then, we live with them for 3 weeks in December when their caregivers go on Christmas vacation.
Everyone here is so welcoming! I'm excited.
Tomorrow, we go on an excursion to Antigua. It's supposed to be one of the most beautiful cities in Guatemala. I can't wait! Then, Saturday we meet the kids in our section and spend the entire day with them. Sunday, we have free and Monday we start work!
Miss and love you all. I will post pictures, my phone number and address later.
I miss you all, but I love Guatemala so far! It is a beautiful country. We live right in a valley, so right outside my house is a view of gorgeous mountains. My house (casa 7) is at the bottom of a hill at the orphanage, so we have a cool view. The hill goes down further, there's a fence, and on the other side of the fence are some Guatemalan homes (in the community). They're really fascinating - different colors, which I think are glorious (Pam). But, I have never seen this much poverty. Guatemala is more poor than Ecuador or Mexico.
And, I have seen some of the traditional Mayan clothing, which is also amazing. THe colors are beautiful!
The Guatemalan people are very friendly and are always so welcoming; they're always smiling and kind. They also hug a lot, so I think I'll fit in pretty well here :).
Before I forget, the organization is called Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (Friends of the Orphans): www.nph.org.
Also, here are some videos you can watch about the organization if you want: www.youtube.com/group/nph
So, here is what has happened since I left the U.S.:
Sunday: Got up at 3:30 AM and flew from Chicago to Ft. Lauderdale to Guatemala City. The whole thing went very smoothly, no lost luggage, made the weight limits. I met up with another volunteer, Jess, in Ft. Lauderdale and we had the same flight to Guatemala City, which was really nice. We got to talk for awhile and fly together. She is from Long Island and seems really cool. It's funny, because we coincidentally had the same plane flight and then were assigned to be roomates here!
They picked us up right at the airport and we went to NPH (the orphanage). Then we took a nap and went out to dinner with all the volunteers, old and new. There are 23 total, and 11 of us are new.
Monday: The 11 of us who are new started orientation. Everyone is really cool! We're still getting to know each other, but I like everyone so far. There are 8 of us from the U.S. and 2 from Germany. Only 2 are guys, the rest girls. I'm living with 6 other volunteers, and our house is really nice. It's kind of like a bungalow, I guess; I'll post some pictures eventually.
I don't even remember what we did on Monday because we have been in orientation all week and it's overwhelming; we've been talked at for hours straight in Spanish, toured the entire orphanage, and met everyone who works here - all in a week. But it is very positive! I'm incredibly impressed at how the orphanage is run. There are 333 children who currently live here, and 100 more come for just the day to attend the school (there is a school at the orphanage). In addition to a school, there is a medical clinic (with a dentist and a farmacy) which is attached the the building for kids with special needs (where I will be working a lot!:), offices, library, farm with pigs, bakery, kitchen, dining room, metal smith shop, carpentry, beauty salon, the kid's homes, and the volunteers homes. It is pretty big, but I don't remember how much acreage.
NPH is self-sufficient - they build/make/cook nearly everything that they need, which is amazing. The kids have an hour of work after school every day; they usually choose where they want to work and can learn a trade.
They also have a lot of cool programs - an orchestra, sports teams, leadership clubs, etc.; I'm so impressed!
(Well, I guess I'm off track from telling what has happened every day, so forget that.)
But yesterday I met my boss, and today we got to talk for awhile. She seems amazing! Her name is Veronica and she is actually a speech pathologist as well, outside of the NPH home. (She doesn't have time to do the position here because she's the director of the psychology department.)
She said that I will start my job slowly next week, which is good. I'm going to observe the art therapist (we met with her yesterday, she's great!), meet with the preschool teacher, special ed coordinator, etc. and decide which kids will need speech/language intervention, and possibly start evaluating some of the kids. (They haven't had a speech pathologist for 6 months, so I'm glad I came! They're all excited that I'm here.)
There is also a boy who is deaf and mute, so they may send me to Antigua (a nearby town) to take Spanish sign language classes! I really hope that this happens. I met him coincidentally tonight at dinner, and I was able to introduce myself to him in American Sign Language; but this is different from Spanish sign language. He seems really cute.
I also met some of the kids with Special needs and preschoolers that I'll be working with - they're adorable! I can't wait. We've also gotten to meet other kids just in the dining hall, and they're all adorable.
Another thing I'm really impressed about is how many services they have for children with Special Needs here. The program is only about 1.5 years old, and they already have 1 school class for kids with Special Needs, 1 class for kids with learning disabilities, an occupational therapist, an art therapist, speech pathologist, and right now they need a physical therapist. They also have 2 social workers and good services for kids with psychological/conduct problems (which many of them have because most are orphans or come from homes where they were neglected/abused/etc.)
One more thing I'm excited about - my office!! It's really nice, which I wasn't expecting. I have a desk, chair, full length mirror (the kids can use it to look at their mouth/oral cavity when trying to produce sounds), a bed, a SWING, and a bookshelf full of books. Plus I have several donations of speech pathology materials that I brought from home.
One more responsibility that the volunteers have outside of our jobs is to mentor a section of children (section = group of children who live together). We're supposed to choose tomorrow, so I'm hoping to get either the preschoolers or the children with Special Needs. We meet with our section 2-3 nights per week, and get to know them pretty well. Then, we live with them for 3 weeks in December when their caregivers go on Christmas vacation.
Everyone here is so welcoming! I'm excited.
Tomorrow, we go on an excursion to Antigua. It's supposed to be one of the most beautiful cities in Guatemala. I can't wait! Then, Saturday we meet the kids in our section and spend the entire day with them. Sunday, we have free and Monday we start work!
Miss and love you all. I will post pictures, my phone number and address later.
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